- May 31, 2026
Russian Forces Use Handheld ‘Yolka’ System To Shoot Down Ukrainian Drone | Watch
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Russian state media video shows Russian Chechen special forces using a handheld Yolka electronic warfare device near Donetsk to jam and crash an incoming Ukrainian drone.
Russian state media video shows Russian Chechen special forces using a handheld Yolka electronic warfare device near Donetsk to jam and crash an incoming Ukrainian drone. (Image: X)
A video released by Russian state media has shown Russian troops using a handheld electronic warfare device known as the Yolka system to neutralise an incoming Ukrainian drone, highlighting Moscow’s growing reliance on portable anti-drone technology amid the ongoing conflict.
The footage, shared by Russian news agency RIA Novosti and circulated widely online, captures a soldier aiming the Yolka device at a drone flying overhead before the unmanned aircraft appears to lose control and crash. The incident reportedly took place in a combat zone, though the exact location was not disclosed.
Russian (Chechen) special forces used a Yolka portable kinetic interceptor drone to shoot down a Ukrainian attack drone in the direction of Donetsk. pic.twitter.com/uILO9Z7XrC— Deadly Weapons (@deadlyweapns) May 31, 2026
According to Russian reports, the Yolka is a compact electronic warfare system designed to disrupt communication and navigation signals used by drones. Unlike traditional air defence weapons that physically destroy aerial targets, the device is intended to jam the radio frequencies that connect drones to their operators, forcing them to land, return to their launch point or crash.
The video comes as drones have become a central feature of the Russia-Ukraine war, with both sides increasingly deploying unmanned aerial vehicles for surveillance, reconnaissance and attack missions. The widespread use of low-cost drones has also driven demand for portable counter-drone systems that can be operated by frontline troops.
Military analysts say handheld electronic warfare devices have become an important layer of defence against small drones, particularly in trench warfare and close-combat environments where conventional air defence systems may be impractical or too expensive to deploy against relatively cheap aerial targets.
Russia and Ukraine have both invested heavily in electronic warfare capabilities during the conflict. Jamming systems are routinely used to interfere with drone operations, GPS navigation and battlefield communications. The rapid evolution of drone technology has in turn sparked an ongoing race to develop more effective countermeasures.
The latest footage of the Yolka system in action offers a glimpse into how modern electronic warfare tools are increasingly being used on the battlefield, where the contest between drones and anti-drone technologies has become a defining feature of the war.
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