Ukraine possesses a laser weapon able to destroy aircraft flying more than a mile above ground and is developing breakthrough “mother drones”, a top military official claims.
In comments on Monday reported by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency, drone forces commander Vadym Sukharevskyi said, “Today we can already shoot down aircraft at an altitude of over 2 km with this laser,” which he said was called Tryzub.
The word means “trident” in Ukrainian, a symbol that appears on the country’s coat of arms, suggesting it was produced domestically.
Sukharevskyi said that the laser is “real and operational”, adding that efforts are underway to scale up its capabilities, per the Kyiv Independent.
No further details were provided as he gave in his first official remarks about the weapon’s existence, and his claims have not been verified. The Ukrainian MoD has been approached for comment via email.
Former British defence minister Grant Shapps announced in April that Britain’s DragonFire laser, expected to go into service in 2027, could potentially be given to Ukraine’s forces to help it take down Russian UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles).
The weapon, which is designed to shoot down drones, missiles and planes with “pin point accuracy”, is able to strike a £1 coin from more than a kilometre away.
In his comments on Monday, Sukharevskyi also reportedly discussed Ukraine’s development of “mother drones,” or “queen drones,” which carry two first-person view, light attack UAVs.
These drones, capable of flying over 70 kilometers (over 43 miles) into enemy territory, serving as repeaters (which signal range and obscuring pilots’ positions) and striking deep targets.
UAVs have become a key weapon for both Kyiv and Moscow since Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.
Sukharevskyi said the mother drone innovation is a “breakthrough” in the country’s use of drone tech.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky unveiled a new “rocket drone” that can hit targets located 430 miles away, more than twice the longest range of missiles supplied by Western allies.
The drone, called Peklo or “hell” in Ukrainian, can reach speeds that make it difficult for enemies to defend against it.
The new weapon was announced after Russia tested a new hypersonic missile in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.
