Russian forces use Chinese-made laser to counter drones
A Russian pro-Kremlin media channel released new footage this week showing what it claims is the combat use of a laser weapon against Ukrainian drones in Russia’s Belgorod region, near the border with Ukraine, marking another public appearance of a Chinese-made directed-energy system in Russian service.
The video, published on January 2026, shows a stationary laser system engaging an unmanned aerial vehicle, followed by footage of the system’s combat post and the turret-mounted laser platform itself.
The outlet identified the operators as members of a so-called special operations detachment known as “Kochevnik” (Nomad), reportedly deployed in Belgorod region. Russian media stated that the system was used to destroy a hostile drone during an air defense engagement.
Visual analysis of the footage indicates that the weapon is the Low-Altitude Laser Defending System, or LASS, also known as Silent Hunter, a Chinese-developed laser air defense platform that has previously appeared in export markets. The system is believed to have been developed by the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics and is designed for short-range air defense against small aerial targets, including drones.
According to publicly available specifications, Silent Hunter is a turret-mounted platform equipped with optical and electro-optical targeting sensors and a laser emitter rated at approximately 10 kilowatts. The system detects, tracks, and engages targets using a directed-energy beam, disabling drones by damaging airframes, sensors, or propulsion systems. The platform is typically mounted on a trailer or vehicle and can operate as a standalone point-defense asset.
In the released footage, the system appears to track an airborne object before firing a sustained laser beam, followed by a visible loss of control of the target.
This is not the first time Silent Hunter–type systems have been spotted in Russian hands. Variants of the same laser platform have been documented earlier in the war, including sightings near critical infrastructure and air defense positions. The appearance of the system again suggests that Russia continues to rely on foreign-made counter-drone solutions as Ukrainian long-range and one-way attack drones expand their reach.
Silent Hunter systems have also been previously observed in service with the armed forces of China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, where they are used primarily for base protection and point air defense against small unmanned threats. The system has been marketed as a cost-effective alternative to missile-based air defense for countering drones and loitering munitions.
