Rusian President Vladimir Putin has been relying on a Chinese-made laser to shoot down Ukrainian drones despite the Asian superpower denying any military involvement in the Ukraine-Russia war, according to reports.
New footage allegedly shows China’s Silent Hunter low-altitude laser defence system being operated by Russian soldiers to fell Ukrainian UAVs.
If in use, the system would be one of the most sophisticated pieces of tech at Moscow’s disposal since its invasion of Ukrainein 2022.
Ukrainian military news outlet Militarnyi has alleged the laser has been in use since October 2024, along with several other pieces of Chinese equipment, and is being used by a mobile air defence team within the ‘Kochevnik’ special operations group.
The laser would be a cost-efficient bonus to Russia’s military operations, with a reported cost of less than £10 per shot, much cheaper than alternative missiles such as Britain’s Sea Viper which racks up around £1million in costs for each missile.
The Silent Hunter, usually mounted on SUVs, is capable of locating, destroying or blinding enemy drones up to three miles away while being operated from within the vehicle with its 30-kilowatt laser.
The low-altitude weapon, developed by state-owned China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, can penetrate a 5mm-thick steel plate 1,000m away.
A video posted across Russian Telegram channels appears to show the laser blitzing a Ukrainian UAV with a split screen showing another slowly rising from a camouflage net before puncturing a steel plate with several holes.
The drones were later identified as a Shchedryk-type UAV, a Skywalker X8 as well as a decoy drone known as the Distractor, per Ukraine’s Vodohrai Telegram channel.
The Silent Hunter is fitted with radar and an optical station to help detect drones.
Last year, a modernised version of the system was unveiled featuring a ‘hard kill’ range of 3.7 miles and a ‘soft kill’ range, the distance needed to blind, of 6.2 miles.
China is believed to have previously distributed the system to both Saudi Arabia and Iran though how many is unclear.
Previously, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed Putin’s reliance on China in the war between Ukraine and Russia “is a clear signal that Putin intends to do anything but end the war.”