In Ukraine, drones are death. Now they are rescuers, too.; The Washington Post, November 6, 2026

Serhiy Morgunov, The Washington Post; In Ukraine, drones are death. Now they are rescuers, too.

"Code 9.2 started looking for another way about a year ago. It built a frame of its own but lacked the technology to make it safe for a person. So instead they turned to SkyFall, whose engineers designed the first dedicated evacuation drone: StarGate...

New technology

The StarGate operations are so new that the pilot, Andrii Koliada, 33, had logged only six hours of practice before the rescues began last month — the first flight coming only four days before the first rescue...

SkyFall says it designed both the drone and its capsule specifically to evacuate the wounded. It built the capsule around a certified medical stretcher, and the drone can carry up to 330 pounds at speeds of up to 65 mph. The company says it also carries electronic warfare equipment to counter FPV attack drones and jamming."

Privacy Fears: Panel Has Advice for Drone Operators; Associated Press via New York Times, 5/20/16

Associated Press via New York Times; Privacy Fears: Panel Has Advice for Drone Operators:

"A panel of privacy experts and technology companies organized by the Obama administration has issued guidelines for using drones without being overly intrusive.

The suggestions are voluntary, but some business interests involved in the debate hope the guidelines head off tougher regulations that they fear could smother the drone industry in its infancy. News organizations are exempt from the guidelines on free-press grounds.

Supporters say drones could provide huge benefits, from inspecting power lines to delivering medicine to remote areas. Google Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. want to use them for deliveries. Falling prices have made drones popular among hobbyists, too.

However, their small size and ability to go just about anywhere — while carrying cameras and sensors — have raised privacy concerns.

The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration on Thursday released the "best practices," which were supported by drone makers, Amazon and other technology companies and retailers, and privacy advocates. The suggestions are aimed at both commercial and private drone users."