Russia-Ukraine war entered a shocking new phase. Shared first by the pro-Russian “Military Information” Telegram channel and later circulated widely across social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), the footage allegedly shows Russian troops operating a Chinese-origin anti-drone laser system. The footage appeared a day before Ukraine launched what is being called its most devastating drone assault on Russian airfields yet — an attack reportedly wiping out 40 aircraft and damaging 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile fleet.
While the timing may be coincidental, the implications of Chinese military technology appearing on a Russian battlefield are anything but. If verified, this would mark the first documented combat deployment of a Chinese laser system in Ukraine and could represent a significant escalation in the shadow conflict between China and the West.
The short video opens with Russian troops interacting with a touchscreen interface, followed by a laser beam test against a steel plate. Later, dramatic thermal camera footage shows the apparent shooting down of several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which pro-Russian sources claim were Ukrainian.
Social media users and military analysts quickly began dissecting the clip. The most consistent claim: the system is China’s “Low-Altitude Laser Defending System” (LASS), also known as the Silent Hunter — a high-energy laser platform capable of neutralizing drones and other low-flying aerial threats with silent, invisible beams.
Another contender: the Shen Nung 3000/5000, a modular, truck-mounted laser system developed by the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics and already spotted in Tehran, Iran, in late 2023, during a sermon by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. There, it had appeared inactive. In this video, however, the system is allegedly seen in action — marking what could be its combat debut.
The Silent Hunter and Shen Nung systems both represent cutting-edge directed energy technology, boasting laser outputs between 10 to 20 kilowatts. According to open-source data, they can engage drones from 1.5 to 5 kilometers, depending on size and altitude. In “dazzling” mode, these lasers blind optical sensors. In full-destructive mode, they can burn through fuselages and electronics in mere seconds.
These systems are relatively compact, often mounted on Dongfeng Mengshi 4×4 light tactical trucks or containerized for rapid deployment. They offer a decisive advantage over traditional air defense systems, which rely on costly missile interceptors to neutralize drones that might cost only a few hundred dollars each.
Russia, facing an unprecedented onslaught of cheap but effective Ukrainian drones, has every reason to want these systems. Since early 2023, Ukraine has been using first-person-view (FPV) kamikaze drones and swarms of loitering munitions to target Russian artillery, radar installations, and aircraft bases. These drones are small, fast, and numerous, posing a challenge for traditional missile-based defense systems like the Pantsir or Tor-M2.
Laser weapons, with their near-zero cost-per-shot and limitless ammunition (as long as power is available), offer an ideal solution — assuming they can be fielded effectively. The Military Informant Telegram channel explicitly noted this strategic pivot:
“Previously, there was an opinion in the domestic information environment that combat lasers were useless and expensive toys. However, new threats identified during the full-on invasion of Ukraine forced the search for alternative methods of counteraction.”
According to the Telegram channel, the laser system is currently operated by the Nomad special forces unit, though no additional context is provided about its deployment timeline or exact location. Notably, Russian state media and the Ministry of Defense have not confirmed the system’s origin, performance, or even existence — standard operating procedure in matters of classified defense technology.
Equally silent has been China. The Chinese government has consistently denied providing offensive weaponry to Russia for use in Ukraine. In public statements, Chinese officials maintain a posture of “neutrality,” reiterating their commitment to a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Fabian Hinz, a respected analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), believes the device shown in the video resembles the Shen Nung 3000/5000, not the Silent Hunter. “While the sensor arrangement seems to have been altered, the system observed in Russian service strongly resembles the Chinese Shen Nung 3000/5000 anti-drone laser,” he noted.
This system had previously raised eyebrows when it appeared in Iran last October, shortly after the Islamic Republic launched missiles at Israel. Analysts suggested it was deployed as a countermeasure against possible retaliatory Israeli drone strikes targeting the regime’s leadership.
Given that both Russia and Iran have deeply integrated defense relationships with China, it is plausible that similar technology was transferred under bilateral or trilateral arrangements — either directly or via third-party components and dual-use exports.
Ironically, the laser video surfaced just a day before Ukraine launched Operation Spiderweb — one of the most consequential drone attacks in the war so far. Using long-range drones launched from trucks smuggled deep into Russian territory, Ukrainian forces targeted key airfields, reportedly destroying up to 40 aircraft, including strategic Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers — platforms central to Russia’s long-range cruise missile capabilities.
Ukrainian security services estimated the damage at $7 billion, marking the attack as not just a tactical success but a strategic humiliation for Russia. Pro-Russian commentators online were livid, with some describing the attack as Russia’s “Pearl Harbor moment.”
Whether the alleged laser system was operational during the Ukrainian assault remains unknown. However, the juxtaposition raises significant questions: was the Chinese system a belated response to a growing threat, or a preview of deeper Chinese-Russian military cooperation?
Allegations of Chinese support for Russia’s war machine are not new — but they are growing more specific.
In April 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly accused China of supplying weapons and even participating in arms production within Russian borders. “We have finally received information that China is supplying weapons to the Russian Federation,” Zelenskyy said. “Chinese representatives are engaged in the production of some weapons on Russian territory.”
China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed these claims as “groundless,” with spokesperson Lin Jian asserting, “China has been actively committed to promoting a ceasefire and ending the conflict, as well as encouraging peace talks.”
But more recently, Oleh Ivashchenko, the head of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, corroborated earlier claims. In a May 26 interview, he stated that China supplies critical materials and machinery to more than 20 Russian defense plants. These include machine tools, gunpowder, electronics, and special chemical compounds — often categorized as “dual-use” to bypass direct arms trade scrutiny.
An intelligence report released by the Biden administration last year also implicated China in supplying microelectronics used in Russian missiles, tanks, and aircraft — components that are difficult for Russia to source elsewhere due to international sanctions.
Laser systems represent more than just a cool piece of tech. In a war defined increasingly by low-cost, high-impact drone warfare, lasers may be the most important evolution in defense. Compared to a $100,000 missile or a $30,000 artillery round, a laser shot costs pennies — assuming the hardware is already deployed.
Moreover, laser weapons reduce collateral damage and can be employed discreetly, ideal for urban environments or defense of high-value targets like airfields, power plants, or command centers.
This makes the alleged appearance of a Chinese laser system in Russia both tactically significant and symbolically explosive — a potential sign that Beijing is testing its next-gen weapons in a real warzone via a proxy.
For now, the exact origin and operational use of the laser system remain unverified. Neither China nor Russia has officially acknowledged its deployment. Independent verification is nearly impossible given the secrecy surrounding both nations’ military operations.
But the convergence of multiple factors — visual similarities to known Chinese systems, prior exports to Iran, and increasing Ukrainian and Western intelligence leaks about China’s support for Russia — suggests that something new is afoot in the military cooperation matrix of Moscow and Beijing.
If China is indeed supplying advanced laser technology to Russia — even indirectly — it signals a dangerous broadening of the Ukraine war’s scope. It represents not just material support but doctrinal alignment, as Russia, China, and Iran move closer in their opposition to Western geopolitical dominance.
While Beijing continues to deny direct involvement, the circumstantial evidence continues to pile up. Whether it’s a laser system, microelectronics, or machine tools, the lines between civilian exports and covert military support are blurring — and the battlefield in Ukraine is becoming a proving ground for emerging military technologies, with global implications.
