The UK has hinted that its own laser weapon Dragonfire could be provided to Kyiv’s forces. (Image: Getty / MoD)
possesses a laser weapon able to destroy aircraft flying more than a mile above ground and is developing breakthrough “mother drones”, a top military official claims.
In comments on Monday reported by the Interfax- news agency, drone forces commander Vadym Sukharevskyi said, “Today we can already shoot down aircraft at an altitude of over 2 km with this laser,” which he said was called Tryzub.
The word means “trident” in , a symbol that appears on the country’s coat of arms, suggesting it was produced domestically.
Sukharevskyi said that the laser is “real and operational”, adding that efforts are underway to scale up its capabilities, per the .
No further details were provided as he gave in his first official remarks about the weapon’s existence, and his claims have not been verified. The MoD has been approached for comment via email.
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Declassified footage previously showed Britain’s fearsome DragonFire laser in action. (Image: MoD)
Drones have become a key weapon in Ukraine’s arsenal as it continues to hold back Russia’s forces. (Image: Getty)
Former British defence minister (unmanned aerial vehicles).
The weapon, which is designed to shoot down drones, missiles and planes with “pin point accuracy”, is able to strike a £1 coin from more than a kilometre away.
In his comments on Monday, Sukharevskyi also reportedly discussed ‘s development of “mother drones,” or “queen drones,” which carry two first-person view, light attack UAVs.
These drones, capable of flying over 70 kilometers (over 43 miles) into enemy territory, serving as repeaters (which extend signal range and obscuring pilots’ positions) and striking deep targets.
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UAVs have become a key weapon for both Kyiv and Moscow since ‘s full-scale invasion of began in February 2022.
Sukharevskyi said the mother drone innovation is a “breakthrough” in the country’s use of drone tech.
Earlier this month, Ukrainian leader , more than twice the longest range of missiles supplied by Western allies.
The drone, called Peklo or “hell” in Ukrainian, can reach speeds that make it difficult for enemies to defend against it.
The new weapon was announced after tested a new hypersonic missile in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro.