High-tech drones turn Ukraine's front line into a deadly kill zone, complicating evacuations

In eastern Ukraine, quiet nights in the dim corridors of a front-line medical post can shatter in an instant. Medics roused from sleep rush to meet another stretcher wheeled in from the Donetsk front.

They work with urgency — chest compressions and shouted commands — until it becomes clear that the soldier arrived too late. The room falls silent as his body is sealed in a white bag.

He could not be saved, the anesthesiologist said, because evacuation took too long. By the time he reached the stabilization point, he was already dead.

It was not an isolated case, but part of a broader shift in the war where medical evacuation has become increasingly difficult.

“Because of drones ... that can reach far, the danger is there for the wounded themselves and now for the crews working to get them out,” said Daryna Boiko, the anesthesiologist from the “Ulf” medical service of the 108th Da Vinci Wolves Battalion. “That’s why the main difficulty now is transport.”

In the early months of Russia’s full-scale invasion, evacuation vehicles could reach almost to the front line, giving the wounded a better chance of survival.

Now, the heavy use of first-person-view (FPV) drones, which let an operator see the target before striking, has turned areas up to 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the front line into kill zones. Medics say they have not treated gunshot wounds for months, and most injuries now come from FPVs.

The drones are the most feared weapon, both because of their precision and because they reduce survival chances for those already injured by complicating the evacuation.

For Ukraine’s outnumbered army, that makes preserving crew even harder.

The growing use of FPVs has also made moving the wounded between points more difficult, said the commander of the 59th Brigade medical unit with call sign Buhor, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

“Everything is getting harder — the work has to be more mobile, the way we operate changes and the level of safety changes,” he said.

Asked whether those conditions have increased mortality among the wounded, he replied: “Significantly. There’s nothing you can do. Everything burns from those FPVs — everything, even tanks.”

He explained that the munitions carry a charge from a rocket-propelled grenade — a shoulder-fired weapon that launches an explosive designed to pierce armored vehicles. When it blasts, a jet of molten metal and fragments penetrate the cabin at extreme temperatures. The impact can cause anything from minor cuts and burns to severe wounds, including amputations, depending on where the fragments hit and their size.

Buhor said self-aid and self-evacuation are now heavily emphasized during training, but the existence of the kill zone means soldiers can be stuck in position for days or weeks — especially if a wound is not immediately life-threatening.

When Artem Fursov arrived at the stabilization post late one night with three other soldiers, Buhor inspected his wounds and praised the bandage on his arm, asking who had done it. It was the work of a fellow soldier — and an example of effective self-aid, Buhor said.

Fursov, 38, was wounded on Aug. 4 by an explosive dropped from a drone, but he didn’t reach a medical post until five days later. To get to safety, he had to walk several kilometers. A small wooden cross he wore under his clothes the whole time now hangs against his chest.

“You can’t even lift your head there. This is already a robot war,” he said about the front line. “And the Russians are coming in like it’s their own backyard.”

Valentyn Pidvalnyi, a 25-year-old assault soldier wounded in the back by shrapnel, said that one month on the positions in 2022 was easier than trying to survive one day now as infantry.

“It’s a very hard sector,” he said, “but if you don’t destroy them, they’ll take the tree line, then the town, then the whole region.”

Buhor has worked in the Pokrovsk area since late 2022. When troops are forced to retreat, stabilization points must also move. In the past two and a half years, Buhor and his team have relocated 17 times.

They left their previous location to the sound of FPV drones.

Other stabilization points are facing the same situation.

Boiko from the “Ulf” medical service recalls that at the beginning of winter — when the stabilization point was still in Pokrovsk — there were still gunshot wounds. That meant there was more direct contact between the infantry, the first line of defense, on both sides.

Months later, the situation had changed dramatically.

They try to protect themselves as much as possible — limiting movement, using camouflage, equipping all vehicles with electronic warfare systems. Their evacuation crews go out only in body armor and helmets.

“We try to safeguard both ourselves and the wounded, doing everything we can to hold our position as long as possible. If we have to move farther back, the evacuation route for the wounded becomes longer — and for those in critical condition, that can be fatal,” she said.

Associated Press reporters Vasilisa Stepanenko, Evgeniy Maloletka and Dmytro Zhyhinas in the Donetsk region and Volodymyr Yurchuk in Kyiv, Ukraine, contributed to this report.

A Ukrainian military medic of 59th brigade treats his injured comrade at a stabilisation point not far from the frontline on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A Ukrainian military medic of 59th brigade treats his injured comrade at a stabilisation point not far from the frontline on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Burns on the face and hand of a Ukrainian soldier who was injured during fighting with Russian forces on the front line, at stabilization point of Da Vinci Wolves Battalion on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Medics of Da Vinci Wolves Battalion treat Ukrainian soldiers injured during fighting with Russian forces on the front line at stabilization point on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, on Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Burns are seen on the face of Artem aka "Lisnyk", a Ukrainian soldier of Da Vinci Wolves Battalion who was injured during fighting with Russian forces at the front line on Pokrovsk direction, Ukraine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

NEW YORK (AP) — Make no mistake, New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns has heard all the harsh criticism this offseason.

There's no way to duck that much heat — especially when some of it's coming from your own kitchen.

But after saying goodbye to popular slugger Pete Alonso, star closer Edwin Díaz and two other Mets stalwarts before Christmas, a steadfast Stearns remains confident in his vision for 2026 and beyond.

“Clearly, this has been an offseason with a lot of change. Some of that change has been really tough," Stearns said Tuesday at a Citi Field luncheon with Mets beat reporters.

"I certainly understand that there have been points in this offseason that have been frustrating for our fan base. We’re not blind to that at all. I’m certainly not blind to that. I hear it. I recognize it. I hear it from my friends and family, at times. I’m also very convicted that what we are doing is the right thing for our franchise going forward to accomplish our goals of creating a consistent playoff team. A team that year after year is a true World Series contender.”

In addition to letting Alonso and Díaz leave as free agents, Stearns traded outfielder Brandon Nimmo and versatile veteran Jeff McNeil — both homegrown Mets.

New York signed closer Devin Williams to a $51 million, three-year contract, infielder Jorge Polanco to a $40 million, two-year deal and reliever Luke Weaver to a $22 million, two-year agreement. With the club intent on improving its defense, Gold Glove second baseman Marcus Semien was acquired from Texas in the trade for Nimmo.

“It has not been hard for me to stay patient and stick to my principles,” said Stearns, raised in New York City. “I grew up a Mets fan. I love the Mets. I am committed to doing this job in a way that I think truly sets us up for success for a sustained period of time. That’s why I want to be here.

"And so I think that end goal and that end desire and that motivation makes it much easier for me to not be swayed by some near-term sentiment. As difficult as near-term sentiment can be, and certainly in this town as loud as it can be, I understand ultimately what our task is, what our mission is, and I believe we’re on our way to achieving it.”

Looking for a big bat in the outfield to pair with Juan Soto, the Mets are believed to be pursuing free agent Kyle Tucker, who batted .266 with 22 homers, 73 RBIs and an .841 OPS in 136 games for the Chicago Cubs last season.

Last year’s World Series teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays, are thought to be the other finalists for Tucker.

New York finished 83-79 last season and missed the playoffs even though owner Steve Cohen was on track to be baseball's second-biggest spender at $431 million in projected payroll and luxury tax.

“What we’ve done previously has not been good enough. We all know that. I certainly know that. And we’ve got to do better,” Stearns said. “We have elite talent at the top of our major league roster. We’ve got a very good farm system. And we’ve got a very good present-day major league team as we sit here today that’s going to get better before we get to opening day.”

Stearns, a small-market success while running the Milwaukee Brewers, pointed to young Mets players like catcher Francisco Alvarez, third baseman Brett Baty and pitcher Nolan McLean as reasons for both immediate and long-term optimism.

“We do think we’ve got a really special crop of young starters,” Stearns said. “I think to this point we’ve yielded really good prospects, and the next challenge for us is let’s turn them into really good major league players.

"I think we’re going to be able to be a good team and win games in somewhat different ways than maybe we have over the past couple of years, and the roster we’re putting together I think will reflect that.”

Top prospect Carson Benge will get a chance to make the big league team out of spring training, possibly in center field.

“We think this is going to be a really good player who’s going to be good here for a long time. Whether that begins on opening day, I’m not sure yet,” Stearns said. "There’s not a lot that we don’t like.”

Left-handed reliever A.J. Minter, rehabbing from surgery for a torn left lat muscle, probably won't be ready for opening day. "But it shouldn’t be too far into the season,” Stearns said.

Christian Scott is expected back following Tommy John surgery in September 2024.

“He’ll be fully ready to go. Exactly how we ramp his season, I think we still have to determine that,” Stearns said.

Third baseman Mark Vientos is expected to get playing time at first along with Polanco.

Stearns said Soto has “worked incredibly hard” on improving his defense this offseason in the Dominican Republic.

“I think Juan can get materially better and I think Juan is the type of person and player when he puts his mind to something, generally achieves it,” Stearns said. “We have to be better at keeping runs off the board. Our pitching and defense has to be better."

McLean and fellow right-hander Clay Holmes are set to pitch for the U.S. in the World Baseball Classic in March.

“We are having conversations with both of those guys about workload,” Stearns said.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

FILE - New York Mets' Pete Alonso gathers his belongings in the dugout after the Mets lost to the Miami Marlins in a baseball game, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky,File)

FILE - New York Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns responds to questions during a news conference about MLB trade deadline deals, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith, File)