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

First Post

05-06-2025

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 read more
The Silent Hunter, or LASS (Low-Altitude Laser Defending System), is a turret-mounted platform equipped with optical targeting sensors and a 30 kW laser. Image/X
A series of pro-Russian Telegram videos and Ukrainian intelligence reports suggest that Russia may now be using a powerful Chinese-made laser weapon, the Silent Hunter, to shoot down Ukrainian drones on the battlefield.
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.
What is the 'Silent Hunter'
The laser system shown in recent footage features a turret-mounted platform emerging from a vehicle, with troops seen operating it from inside using joysticks and digital screens.
The footage transitions to the laser piercing holes into a steel plate, and then shows Ukrainian drones catching fire and spiralling to the ground. Burnt drone parts are later displayed.
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The video, initially posted on the Military Information Telegram channel, was widely shared on platforms and shows what military analysts say closely resembles the Low-Altitude Laser Defending System (LASS), also referred to as Silent Hunter.
🇷🇺📹 Russian sources have released footage showing the use of the Chinese Low-Altitude Laser Defending System (LASS) to shoot down Ukrainian drones in the combat zone.
These appear to be the first documented visuals of the Chinese laser system in operational use in Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/CPMMQ7263b — NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports) May 31, 2025
This system was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, a state-owned enterprise. First fielded during the 2016 G20 summit in Hangzhou, it is designed to search, track, blind, and neutralise enemy drones.
The weapon is mounted on a vehicle, typically an SUV, allowing for high mobility. Its upgraded version, reportedly revealed in 2024, expanded its effective engagement range: capable of detecting aerial targets up to 3.1 miles away, blinding them at 2 miles, and destroying them at 1 mile.
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The 'soft kill' or blinding range was extended to 6.2 miles, while the 'hard kill' or destruction range was pushed to 3.7 miles.
It operates with a 30-kilowatt laser capable of piercing a 5mm-thick steel plate at a distance of 1,000 metres, and it takes approximately eight seconds to lock onto and neutralise a target.
Cost-effectiveness is one of its major advantages, as each use of the system is estimated to cost less than £10 — a fraction of the price of conventional missiles like Britain's Sea Viper, which can cost up to £1 million, reported The Eurasian Times.
Is there evidence of its deployment in the Russia-Ukraine war?
According to Ukraine's Vodohrai Telegram channel, the drones shown in the video included a Shchedryk-type UAV, a Skywalker X8 and a decoy drone known as the Distractor.
Ukraine's Militarnyi news outlet assessed that these drones were engaged from distances greater than 0.8 miles, suggesting operational use well within the Silent Hunter's claimed range.
Ukrainian military sources also assert that the system is currently being operated by a mobile air defence unit from the Kochevnik special operations group, and has been deployed since at least October.
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Separate pro-Russian sources have identified the team as the Nomad special forces squad.
Analysts who reviewed the video noted a strong resemblance between the system seen in Russia and earlier sightings of similar Chinese systems in Iran and Saudi Arabia. In 2024, a Silent Hunter unit was spotted in Tehran during a public sermon by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reported The Telegraph.
Saudi Arabia has reportedly deployed the system against reconnaissance UAVs used by Houthi militants in Yemen, who themselves rely on Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones — the same model used by Russia in Ukraine.
Military commentators in Russia now argue that recent combat use has overturned the earlier domestic scepticism about laser weapons.
The Military Informant Telegram channel wrote, '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. Thanks to the development of new technologies, laser systems have become an effective tool for the destruction of Ukrainian UAVs.'
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Where does that leave China?
Despite the mounting evidence, Beijing has repeatedly denied providing lethal aid to Russia. Its Ministry of Foreign Affairs insists that 'China has never provided lethal weapons to any party to the conflict' and that it 'strictly controls dual-use items.'
China's denials have done little to quell accusations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated, 'Russia's involvement of China, along with other countries, whether directly or indirectly, in this war in Europe is a clear signal that Putin intends to do anything but end the war. He is looking for ways to continue fighting.'
Zelenskyy has also accused China of supplying Russia with weaponry and gunpowder. Reports had also emerged in April that two Chinese soldiers were captured in Ukraine fighting alongside Russian forces.
While Western intelligence services noted that it was unlikely these soldiers were sent officially by Beijing, it remains a troubling sign. Russia is known to recruit foreign nationals through informal and irregular channels.
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.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, around 80 per cent of the electronics in Russian drones now originate from China — a claim also echoed by the US State Department, which has stated, 'China is a major enabler of Russia in the war in Ukraine. China provides nearly 80 per cent of the dual-use items Russia needs to sustain the war.'
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Does Russia have a similar laser weapon?
Prior to the suspected deployment of the Chinese laser system, Russia had already developed its own laser weaponry, including the Persevet and Zadira systems. However, there has been little public documentation of their deployment in active combat scenarios.
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. While this was framed as a breakthrough, no video evidence or operational reports have since emerged.
Earlier this year, Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov revealed that the Pantsir air defence system would soon be upgraded to include a laser complex.
This modernisation push reflects Russia's interest in integrating energy weapons into its broader defence network, particularly as drones continue to play a central role in Ukraine's resistance efforts.
Still, despite these domestic efforts, the recent visual evidence of a Chinese laser system being actively used on the front lines raises questions about whether Russian-made alternatives have proven inadequate or delayed.
There has been a shift to laser weapons as they offer several advantages over traditional missile-based systems. They are cost-effective, can be deployed repeatedly without reloading, and can destroy aerial threats with minimal collateral damage.
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These characteristics make them ideal for the high-volume drone threats seen in current conflict zones.
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With inputs from agencies