Monday, March 18, 2024

Pentagon denies reports of Russia fielding laser weapons in Ukraine

The U.S. Defense Department on Friday denied reports that Russia has deployed its laser weapon systems to Ukraine.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Friday there were no indications that Russia had used laser weaponry in Ukraine, following claims by Moscow that it was fielding a new generation of powerful Peresvet and Zadira lasers there to strike drones.

“We don’t have any indication of the use of lasers, at least weaponized lasers, in Ukraine. Nothing to confirm on that,” Kirby said.

- ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW -

Just this week, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov claimed that Russia is deploying laser weapons to Ukraine, in particular, the Zadira laser system capable of striking targets at a range of 5 km.

“They [laser weapon systems] have begun arriving [for the army]. The first types are already being employed,” Borisov said.

This system is capable of “easily shooting down various types of drones, avoiding expending costly missiles of the Pantsyr and Tor types,” Borisov added.

According to TASS, the new Zadira laser weapon system is more powerful than the Peresvet system, which is capable of blinding reconnaissance satellites at a distance of 1,500 km.

Russian state media reported that the Zadira is focused on physically destroying an object at a distance of up to 5 km and it literally burns through a target by its thermal impact.

If you would like to show your support for what we are doing, here's where to do it.

If you wish to report grammatical or factual errors within our news articles, you can let us know by using the online feedback form.

Executive Editor

About author:

Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov
Dylan Malyasov is the editor-in-chief of Defence Blog. He is a journalist, an accredited defense advisor, and a consultant. His background as a defense advisor and consultant adds a unique perspective to his journalistic endeavors, ensuring that his reporting is well-informed and authoritative. read more

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

TRENDING NOW

Ukrainian intelligence unveils details on Russian Armata tank production

Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense has disclosed new data concerning the Russian T-14 "Armata" tanks, shedding light on their production...