In active conflict zones, every second matters and every rescue mission carries immense risk. Traditional search and rescue teams often struggle with blocked roads, collapsed buildings, ongoing violence, or total communication breakdowns.
This is where drones are stepping in, offering a safer, faster, and smarter way to locate survivors and deliver urgent aid.
In this blog, we explore how drones are helping in search and rescue operations in war-torn areas, with real-life examples and the latest tech being used in 2025.
Why Drones Matter in Conflict Zone Rescues
Let us go through the ways in which fpv drones are playing an important role in conflict zone rescues.
#1 When Rescuers Cannot Get In
Drones serve as the first wave of search in environments too dangerous or remote for humans.
Rescue teams rely on drones to fly above destroyed buildings, war-torn streets, or hazardous terrain to get immediate situational awareness. High-definition cameras and live feeds help identify collapsed zones, blocked routes, or active combat threats. This data allows mission leaders to plan safe entry points and prioritize areas for ground teams.
In Ukraine, drones have been used extensively to locate trapped civilians in villages bombarded during Russian strikes. Ukrainian first responders work alongside drone operators to map destruction and highlight areas with the highest survivor probability.
Also read: How insideFPV fits in India’s leading drone defense future
#2 Thermal Imaging to Spot Hidden Survivors
Drones with infrared and thermal cameras detect body heat from people trapped under rubble or debris.
In conflict-related disasters where buildings have collapsed, people may be unconscious, injured, or unable to call for help. Thermal drones can scan for heat signatures and alert rescue teams with exact GPS coordinates. They work especially well at night, through smoke, or in forested areas.
During the 2023 earthquake in northern Syria, drones from the Syrian Civil Defence, known as the White Helmets, helped spot survivors under concrete using thermal payloads. These same systems are now being deployed in Gaza to identify injured civilians after airstrikes.
Also read: How to become a certified drone pilot in 2025
#3 AI-Powered Search and Survivor Detection
Artificial intelligence is making drones smarter and faster during rescue operations.
Modern drones use AI-powered object recognition to detect human forms, analyze patterns in movement or sound, and flag unusual thermal signatures. These tools help teams find survivors even when they are unconscious or visually obstructed.
In 2025, India’s Defense Research and Development Organisation successfully tested an AI drone system called “Savera” along the Arunachal Pradesh border.
The system could autonomously scan conflict zones, detect injured bodies in rough terrain, and notify command posts without needing constant human input.
#4 Communication Relay in Network Blackouts
Drones help restore connectivity when war destroys telecom infrastructure.
In many conflict zones, mobile towers are down, internet is cut, and radio signals are blocked. Drones equipped with relay nodes or mesh network boosters fly above the area and act as temporary communication bridges. This allows coordination between search teams, hospitals, and air support even in blackout conditions.
In Sudan, where internal conflict disrupted national networks in early 2024, humanitarian teams used drones fitted with low orbit satellite relays to maintain contact during rescue missions in Khartoum’s bombed-out neighborhoods.
#5 Medical Supply Drops in Inaccessible Zones
Beyond searching, drones can deliver life-saving supplies to people cut off from aid.
In areas where ambulances or helicopters cannot enter, drones can fly in with compact medical kits, food, water, or communication devices. Some platforms now feature winch systems to lower items safely to survivors without needing to land.
During the siege of Mariupol in 2022, small quadcopters were used to drop insulin, antibiotics, and energy food to civilians trapped in underground shelters. In 2025, Gaza-based NGO “Lifeline Aerial” used autonomous VTOL drones to deliver blood bags to bombed hospitals that had no road access.
Also read: The rise of tactical drone labs in defense
#6 Mapping and Coordination for Rescue Teams
Drones create accurate, up-to-date maps of conflict damage to support smarter rescue planning.
High-resolution aerial mapping helps responders understand where to send teams, where the structural damage is worst, and how to avoid risks like ongoing shelling or landmines. These maps are often produced in just a few minutes using drone photogrammetry software.
In April 2025, Turkish rescue forces responding to missile strikes near the Syrian border used drones to generate 3D terrain models of affected towns. This data was shared with local medics and UN field teams to avoid further casualties and optimize relief supply drops.
Real-Life Use Cases from 2025
Let us explore some real life examples from 2025.
Ukraine frontline rescues using FPV drones
Ukrainian volunteers and medics have turned consumer drones into lifesaving machines. In contested towns like Bakhmut, drone pilots fly first-person view drones into bombed buildings to search for survivors, then coordinate rescue teams once a safe path is identified.
India’s Operation Brahma
During a conflict-linked earthquake in Myanmar in March 2025, Indian drone teams deployed reconnaissance units to border villages. Drones located over 60 trapped individuals in two days, guiding engineers and medics who followed with rescue tools and evacuation transport.
Sudan’s conflict in Khartoum
Following military clashes in Sudan’s capital, drone fleets were launched by Médecins Sans Frontières to scan burned-out buildings for survivors. They used thermal drones and AI tools to find people trapped inside collapsed stairwells and deliver small oxygen kits via drone drop.
Israeli-Palestinian conflict zone rescues
In 2024 and continuing into 2025, rescue drones have been used across both sides of the Gaza border. Civil defense teams used mapping drones to assess structural damage and locate survivors, while international NGOs used aerial medical delivery to reach areas blocked by tanks or rubble.
US disaster-relief drones in Hawaii military base
Though not a war zone, the US Army deployed MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones after a terrorist bombing at a training base in Hawaii. The drones helped scan for injured personnel across a wide area, guiding medics during the first critical response hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do drones assist in search and rescue during war?
Drones provide live surveillance, detect survivors using thermal and AI sensors, deliver supplies, and map affected areas without putting rescuers at risk.
Can drones really locate people under rubble?
Yes, drones with thermal cameras can detect body heat from people trapped under concrete, even at night or through smoke and dust.
Are drones used to deliver medicine in conflict zones?
Absolutely. Many drones now carry medical payloads like insulin, bandages, or IV fluids to locations that are too dangerous or remote for ground teams.
What types of drones are best for conflict rescues?
Fixed-wing drones are used for wide-area mapping while quadcopters and VTOL drones are preferred for vertical access, deliveries, and close-quarter scanning.
Which organizations are using drones in 2025 for rescue missions?
Governments, NGOs like the Red Cross and MSF, as well as military and private drone firms are all actively deploying drones in conflict-related rescue work.
