Russian drones cut access to medics saving Ukraine's wounded

DW (English)

Attacks on medics are considered war crimes under international humanitarian law. But with Russian drones surveilling the airspace, evacuating the injured is becoming increasingly impossible. DW witnessed Ukraine's frontline medics and soldiers struggle through grueling rescue missions (graphic content warning).

Transcript

00:00It's shortly after dark and things are getting busy at this medical stabilization point.

00:05Three ambulances arrive within an hour.

00:08They bring soldiers injured on the front line just a few kilometers east.

00:14A drone targeted us and we all started running.

00:19The drone injured my comrade's leg.

00:22But at least everyone survived.

00:23Jepke, the doctor on duty, has barely slept in recent weeks.

00:30Every night he receives dozens of soldiers at his small stabilization point.

00:35Almost all have been hit by drones.

00:38They come at night hoping it's a bit safer in the dark.

00:41But drones are making the crucial journey to this kind of help increasingly dangerous.

00:46There's a huge amount of surveillance drones that control the airspace nowadays,

00:55so evacuations are becoming very difficult.

00:58During the Vietnam War it took just 40 minutes to bring a wounded soldier to a medical facility by helicopter.

01:06In this war even 10 kilometers can become an impossible challenge

01:10because no evacuation transport can get close anymore.

01:13Attacks on medics are considered war crimes under international law,

01:19but these rules have long ceased to exist here, Jepke says.

01:23On the front lines, soldiers train to be their own doctors.

01:27Many units now hold emergency training sessions every week.

01:32They know they might be stuck on the battlefield after an attack.

01:36For me, tactical medicine has become the most important training nowadays,

01:45even more important than actual combat training.

01:49And this is all due to the new drone war.

01:53The soldiers show us a video they made of a combat drone attack.

01:57Everything happens extremely quickly.

01:59There is no chance to escape.

02:01Russia's drones have become a nightmare for his unit, Commander Kaspar admits.

02:08But Ukraine can use the technology to help.

02:16Recently a drone dropped a bag of blood on the front line,

02:20and the wounded soldier was given a transfusion right in the trenches.

02:24This was an incredibly cool operation.

02:26Back at the stabilization point, another doctor is just starting his shift.

02:34Dennis tells us of a patient who landed on his operating table just a few days ago,

02:40after bleeding heavily for hours.

02:46We clamped his aorta, and we gave him a direct heart massage.

02:50We tried to reanimate him, but after an hour we had to give up.

02:58The soldier might have survived if he'd got to the stabilization point faster, says Dennis.

03:04Drones had delayed the transport and probably claimed yet another Ukrainian life.

03:10Drones had delayed the transport of the government.

03:15The soldiers do not have to get into trouble, but after encouraging him to keep up.

03:18The soldiers are in control of the ministry and again,

03:19for the passengers of the family.

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