Ukraine’s 3rd Brigade has released video footage showing a multicopter equipped with a YoYo anti‑drone module intercepting and bringing down a Russian Mavic quadcopter, the brigade said. According to the unit, this is the first time it has demonstrated the system being used in actual combat.
How the YoYo module works
The YoYo is a compact attachment mounted beneath a multicopter. The brigade said the system functions by deploying a cord fitted with a weighted end when an interceptor drone approaches an enemy unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The cord is intended to wrap around the target’s propellers and prevent them from rotating, causing the intercepted aircraft to lose control.
- Mounting: YoYo is carried beneath a multicopter as a pod or module.
- Mechanism: deploys a cord with a weighted end designed to entangle propellers.
- Combat footage: the released video shows a Russian Mavic quadcopter falling after its propellers become entangled, the brigade said.
The footage released by the 3rd Brigade shows the moment the cord appears to catch the Mavic’s propeller disc and the target subsequently loses lift. The brigade characterised the recording as a combat use demonstration; the unit did not provide additional operational details such as location, timing, or whether other assets were involved.
Entanglement systems like YoYo are part of a broader class of kinetic counter‑UAS solutions that seek to neutralise small drones without explosive effects or high‑cost interceptors. In the released sequence, the intercepted aircraft appears to descend in a manner consistent with propeller seizure, as the brigade described.
The 3rd Brigade’s statement and the accompanying video are the only sources for the claim of first combat use; the event and its effects are reported here as attributed to the unit. No independent verification of the engagement or further technical specifications beyond the module’s basic operating principle were provided by the brigade in its release.
Military and security audiences should note that the 3rd Brigade described the action as a demonstration of the YoYo in combat, and the published footage is the basis for that claim.
