An injured Ukrainian soldier stranded behind Russian lines near the northern city of Siversk has made a dramatic escape after a drone delivered an e-bike to his position. Footage from the Rubizh Brigade shows an unmanned aerial vehicle winching the bicycle down to the wounded serviceman, known by the call sign 'Tanker'.
The escape came as Russian forces launched a wave of missile attacks on Kyiv in the early hours of Thursday, killing 16 people, including a six-year-old boy and his mother. Three of Tanker's comrades had already been killed by artillery fire during a military operation, leaving him alone to hold the position.
Tanker, who sustained a leg injury, said: 'Our drones covered us from above as best as they could. Then they threw two gas cylinders straight into our hole and a lighter. We caught fire. Every day, I was surrounded, from all sides. I fought back as best I could.' Brigade chief of staff Mykola Gritsenko explained that a rescue team could not reach Tanker without risking their own safety.
The Battalion Freedom Force said two initial attempts to deliver the e-bike failed: the first was shot down, and the second suffered motor burnout. A third attempt succeeded, but after cycling 400 metres, Tanker was thrown into the air by a remote mine. He then limped another 200 metres before being met by comrades and pulled to safety. A second e-bike was delivered, which he rode for 15 minutes until he reached an evacuation point.
Gritsenko noted the careful planning required: 'To carry out this operation, they had to calculate the right time of day, the right weather conditions that would allow him to do it.' Commenting on the wider conflict, President Volodymyr Zelensky said: 'Peace without strength is impossible. But forcing Moscow to make peace, compelling them to come to a real negotiating table – all the tools needed for this are in the hands of our partners.'
