Get the latest tech news

Silent Hunter: Has China armed Russia with a laser gun to shoot down drones?

Russia appears to be using a Chinese-origin laser weapon system to shoot down Ukrainian drones, according to video footage circulating on Russian Telegram channels. The laser, known as Silent Hunter, is allegedly operated by special forces and marks a new development in China’s alleged role in the Ukraine war, despite Beijing’s official denials of military aid

This development, if verified, could mark one of the most significant pieces of Chinese military technology deployed in the war so far, despite Beijing’s continued claims of neutrality and denial of providing lethal aid to Moscow. The head of Ukraine’s intelligence service, Oleh Ivashchenko, added in May that the country could “confirm” the presence of Chinese-made materials in at least 20 Russian military factories, reported The Eurasian Times. In August 2023, Russia’s state media outlet RIA Novosti reported successful field tests of an unnamed laser gun, which allegedly destroyed a number of drones.

Get the Android app