Russian military officials have released a video showing the use of a laser system by Russian air defense forces. The system shown is very similar to the Chinese Silent Hunter laser system developed by the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics.
A video dated May 30 shows a mobile laser system reportedly being used by the Nomad special forces unit to combat Ukrainian reconnaissance drones. This is the first visual confirmation of Russia's use of a laser combat system.
The Silent Hunter complex is a mobile 30 kW laser system capable of destroying low-flying targets at a distance of up to 1.5 km and blinding optical sensors at a distance of up to 3 km. The system is equipped with a radar that can detect air objects within a radius of 5 km and an optical station for tracking targets. The system is reported to be able to fully deploy or shut down in less than five minutes.
The detection of a Chinese laser system in service with the Russian Federation raises new questions about military cooperation between Russia and China. Earlier, according to Ukrinform, President Zelenskyy stated that China supplies Russia with weapons and military goods, but China officially denied these accusations.
Currently, the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine continues to record the facts of the transfer of Chinese military technologies to Russia. According to Oleg Ivashchenko, head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, China supplies machine tools, special chemicals, gunpowder and components specifically to Russian military enterprises. These data have been confirmed at 20 Russian factories. In addition, he added that by the beginning of 2025, 80% of critical electronics for Russian drones are of Chinese origin.