Two Ukrainian soldiers who had been captured by Russia were rescued from captivity after an operation that used the Vampire attack drone.
According to the 1st Separate Assault Regiment, the incident took place in the area around Huliaipole, Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi, the two soldiers were captured by Russian forces during an advance against Ukrainian positions.
The invading forces took the soldiers to a prison. The regiment’s command said they were aware that the Ukrainian soldiers could be executed after interrogation, which led to the decision to carry out an immediate rescue operation using attack drones.
To strike the enemy, the command decided to use munitions dropped from a heavy bomber drone, the Vampire. As a result, both captors were killed, and the freed Ukrainian soldiers were able to return to their positions on their own.
The Vampire drone, also known as Baba Yaga, is produced by the Ukrainian startup SkyFall and has been supplied to the Ukrainian Armed Forces since 2023. In 2025, the drone became one of the most effective weapons on the battlefield.
The Vampire is used to strike frontline targets, enemy fortified positions, military equipment, and hostile personnel. Altogether, this type of bomber has carried out more than 2.5 million combat missions.
The hexacopter can carry a payload of up to 15 kg over a distance of up to 20 km, with a total range of 35–40 km. According to the company, simplified training, the ability to scale up production without loss of quality, and its affordable cost are also notable features of the drone.
Photo: SkyFall. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
