Chinese military doctors study drone-related injuries from Ukraine and Middle East wars

Chinese military medical experts are working to develop treatments for injuries commonly caused by drone warfare, according to state broadcaster CCTV, as reported by the South China Morning Post. The work draws on lessons from the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Chen Juxiang, a senior Chinese military doctor and director of neurosurgery at the First Affiliated hospital, told CCTV that cranio-maxillofacial injuries had become a particularly serious problem in conflicts dominated by drones.

Cranio-maxillofacial injuries involve damage to the hard and soft tissues of the head. The report said Chinese experts were making progress in finding treatments for these injuries, but the supplied material does not describe the treatments or the nature of the progress. It also does not identify the specific conflicts or cases being studied, give figures for the number of wounded people or explain how the medical findings will be applied.

The account presents the work as an effort to learn from recent warfare, particularly the growing role of drones. No independent assessment, reaction from other military medical institutions or further details about Chen’s research were included.