Russia touts new laser weapons, but Ukraine and U.S. are skeptical
A senior Russian official told state media on Wednesday that a state-of-the-art laser weapons system has been deployed for active use in Ukraine, a claim that U.S. defense authorities and military experts say has not been substantiated and that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has mocked.
In a TV interview, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said the country’s latest laser weapon, dubbed “Zadira,” is now used by military units fighting in Ukraine. The equipment is capable of incinerating targets up to three miles away within five seconds, he added, and is more advanced than the Peresvet, another laser system unveiled in 2018.
A senior Pentagon official told reporters that the United States has not seen any evidence to corroborate Borisov’s claim.
In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky mocked the notion of Zadira’s use and compared it to the Nazi's “wunderwaffe,” or wonder weapons.
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