--- title: "Near Vovchansk, Captured Russian Forced to Retrieve Fallen Ukrainian Soldier's Body: How Drones Were Used" description: "The Volia battalion of the 57th Brigade reported an operation near Vovchansk where a captured Russian was forced to retrieve the body of a fallen Ukrainian soldier using drones. The video was published on YouTube." date: 2026-10-29T14:44:02.014Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/vovchansk-russian-prisoner-drones-body-evacuation tags: [volchansk, drone-operations, volia-battalion, ukraine-war, military] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Near Vovchansk, Captured Russian Forced to Retrieve Fallen Ukrainian Soldier's Body: How Drones Were Used ![Military drone operator holding a remote controller with an aerial feed on the screen amid smoke](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/29/evakuaciya-tela-pavshego-voina-pod-volchanskom/evakuaciya-tela-pavshego-voina-pod-volchanskom-1.webp) ## Key Points - The Volia battalion of the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade conducted a nearly 24-hour operation near Vovchansk to evacuate a fallen Ukrainian soldier's body. - A captured Russian serviceman was used to retrieve the body: he was captured with a loudspeaker-equipped Mavic drone, and a Vampire drone dropped evacuation stretchers to him. - The battalion stated that returning fallen soldiers is their duty to their families. - As context, ISW reported on Operation Veles near Kupyansk and Operation Vivaldi, during which analysts estimate the Russian 144th Motorized Rifle Division was destroyed. The "Volia" battalion of the 57th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade has published a video of a unique operation to evacuate the body of a fallen Ukrainian soldier near Vovchansk. According to RBC-Ukraine, the military used a captured Russian serviceman to carry the body out of the danger zone. According to the fighters, the operation lasted almost a day and required coordinated actions across several units. ### Why the Evacuation Was Difficult The battalion explained that the body of their fellow soldier was located in an area where sending out an evacuation team was extremely dangerous due to the enemy's presence. That is why the command chose an unconventional method: instead of sending a live team into the risk zone, it was decided to involve a prisoner. "Returning a fallen warrior is our duty to him and his family so that loved ones can say goodbye and bury him with honors as a hero," the Volia battalion stated. ### How the Drones Operated According to the description of the operation, the Russian serviceman was first captured using a Mavic drone equipped with a loudspeaker. The prisoner was then led to the spot where the body of the fallen Ukrainian fighter lay. After that, a Vampire drone dropped evacuation stretchers to him, which he used to carry the body out of the danger zone. The battalion emphasized that returning a single fallen soldier involved "the joint work of drone crews, command, the evacuation team, and infantrymen." ### Broader Context: ISW Data Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) previously reported on the progress of other operations. According to analysts, as part of Operation Veles, Ukraine's Defense Forces stopped Russian attempts to gain a foothold in the northern part of Kupyansk, Kharkiv Oblast. Separately, ISW reported that during Operation Vivaldi, the Ukrainian military inflicted significant damage on Russia's 144th Motorized Rifle Division, which, according to analysts' estimates, effectively ceased to exist as an organized combat formation. These reports are not directly related to the Vovchansk operation, but they provide an overview of the general frontline dynamics at the time of publication. The video published by the battalion is the only public confirmation of the described sequence of actions. Independent verification of the operation's details—including the fact of capture and the dropping of stretchers by drones—had not been conducted at the time of publication. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Уникальная операция под Волчанском: пленный россиянин вынес тело погибшего воина ВСУ (видео)](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/unikalna-operatsiya-pid-vovchanskom-poloneniy-1793283805.html) - Primary source: YouTube video by the Volia battalion, retold by RBC-Ukraine. Details of the operation (drone capture, dropping stretchers) are based on statements from one side without independent verification. ## FAQ ### Where and by whom was the body evacuation operation carried out? According to the Volia battalion of the 57th Brigade, the operation took place near Vovchansk and lasted almost a day. ### How exactly was the fallen soldier's body retrieved? The battalion reported that a Russian serviceman was captured using a Mavic drone with a loudspeaker, led to the body, and a Vampire drone dropped evacuation stretchers to him, which he used to carry the body out. ### Is there independent confirmation of the operation? At the time of publication, the only public confirmation is the video published by the battalion itself. Independent verification of the operation's details has not been conducted.