- July 22, 2026
- 11:28 pm
- Ukraine
Ukraine accelerates the development of laser weapons to counter Russian drones. Experimental systems are already capable of hitting small FPV drones, and the next stage should be testing and practical application against larger strike devices like the Shahed.
On July 22, 2026, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Brigadier General Andriy Lebedenko, stated that teams within the Armed Forces and private defense enterprises are simultaneously working on laser systems.
According to him, within the next two to three months, Ukraine may receive means that will allow it to hit air targets more effectively than mobile fire groups with machine guns. If the specified period is counted from the date of the statement, it may refer to the period from late September to late October 2026.
What was actually stated by the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Lebedenko’s statement requires careful interpretation. The military did not report that in two to three months the Armed Forces would necessarily receive a serial batch of a specific laser complex. He also did not name the manufacturer, the power of the installation, the range of impact, the number of systems being prepared, or the units to which they might be transferred.
The general spoke about several projects related to ‘weapons of the future.’ Some developers work directly within the Ukrainian army, while other projects are developed by private enterprises.
‘It can already shoot down FPVs today, it is already working on Shaheds today,’ Lebedenko said, describing the current state of developments. He added that the results obtained in the coming months should allow for more effective combat against air attack means.
Thus, the established period most likely refers to the appearance of samples ready for the troops or the completion of the next stage of testing. There is currently no basis to assert that in the fall Ukraine will completely replace mobile machine gun groups with laser installations.
It is about creating another level of air defense that should complement anti-aircraft missiles, aviation, mobile groups, electronic warfare, and Ukrainian interceptor drones.
‘Trident’ and Sunray: what lasers Ukraine is developing
The first official announcement of the existence of Ukrainian laser weapons appeared on December 16, 2024. At that time, the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Vadym Sukharievsky, reported that the complex was named ‘Trident.’
According to Sukharievsky, the Ukrainian system could already hit air targets at an altitude of more than two kilometers. However, technical characteristics, laser power, and test results were not disclosed, and there was no independent confirmation of the declared range at that time.
In 2025, ‘Trident’ was already being considered by Ukrainian military specialists as a possible element of a multi-level system to counter drones. Laser installations of this type were proposed to be used in the middle echelon of air defense — approximately at altitudes from one to six kilometers — along with small-sized missiles and other interception means.
In February 2026, information appeared about another Ukrainian laser system — Sunray. A journalist from The Atlantic was present at the testing of a prototype mounted on the roof of a pickup truck. A small drone hovered a few hundred meters from the installation, after which the system automatically tracked the target. After a few seconds of exposure, the drone caught fire and fell.
According to the developers, Sunray was created over about two years. The development of the prototype cost several million dollars, and the estimated cost of a serial installation could be several hundred thousand dollars. The system is compact enough to be transported by car and externally resembles a telescope with optical cameras installed nearby.
It is not officially confirmed whether ‘Trident’ and Sunray are different projects, related developments, or different names for one complex. It is possible that several laser installations created by different military and private teams are being tested in parallel within Ukraine.
That is why Lebedenko’s statement should not be associated with just one name. It is most likely that the Armed Forces are evaluating several solutions at once and will try to choose systems that can be relatively quickly produced and deployed near cities, airfields, energy facilities, and military positions.
Why Ukraine needed laser weapons
The main problem of modern air defense is the cost of interception.
Russia can launch a large number of relatively cheap drones, among which are strike Shaheds, imitators, reconnaissance devices, and small FPV drones. To destroy some of them, Ukraine has to use significantly more expensive anti-aircraft missiles.
The laser changes the economics of such interception. The installation does not launch a physical projectile but directs a concentrated beam of energy at a vulnerable part of the target. Depending on the power and distance, the laser can damage the engine, battery, control system, optical equipment, or drone body.
After each shot, there is no need to install a new missile. As long as the system receives electricity and copes with cooling, it can theoretically continue to operate.
The British Ministry of Defense estimates the operational cost of one application of the DragonFire laser complex at less than ten pounds sterling. At the same time, the cost of one traditional anti-aircraft interceptor can reach hundreds of thousands of pounds.
For Ukraine, which faces mass attacks daily, the difference is crucial. The laser can become a cheap last line of defense where the use of a missile is economically unjustified, and a machine gun does not provide the necessary accuracy.
NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency notes: the advantage of the laser is not only in price. The beam reaches the target almost instantly, does not create shrapnel from an anti-aircraft missile, and does not lead to the fall of machine gun bullets fired upwards over populated areas.
However, this advantage works only if the system detected the drone in time, automatically tracked it, and was able to hold the beam on one point long enough to destroy the target.
Why the laser will not replace all Ukrainian air defense
A combat laser is not a universal weapon. Its capabilities directly depend on the weather, distance, atmospheric transparency, power source, and cooling efficiency.
Fog, heavy rain, snow, smoke, dust, and high humidity scatter the energy of the beam. The farther the target is, the more difficult it is to maintain the necessary concentration of energy on a small area of the body.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) notes that laser weapons usually lose effectiveness with increasing distance, and atmospheric conditions and the need for cooling remain among the main technological limitations. Lasers also most often work sequentially on one target, complicating the reflection of a dense simultaneous raid.
There is also the problem of direct visibility. Buildings, trees, terrain, clouds, or smoke can block the target. The installation must also receive data from radar or optical observation means, as the laser itself does not replace a full-fledged detection system.
Against an FPV drone hovering or moving at a low altitude, such conditions are relatively easier to ensure. The Shahed flies faster, can change altitude, and be in the air under difficult weather conditions. To hit it, a more powerful beam, precise tracking, and sufficient exposure time are required.
Therefore, the phrase about the ability to ‘work on Shahed’ does not yet mean that the Ukrainian laser already consistently destroys such devices during real mass raids.
The most realistic option is the integration of lasers with radars, acoustic sensors, interceptor drones, electronic warfare means, anti-aircraft guns, and missile systems. An automated system should determine on its own which weapon is more advantageous to hit a specific target.
Israeli Iron Beam shows the complexity of the task
For the Israeli audience, the Ukrainian development is inevitably compared with the Iron Beam system, created by Rafael in collaboration with the Research and Development Directorate of the Israeli Ministry of Defense and other enterprises.
On December 28, 2025, the first operational Iron Beam system was handed over to the Israeli Air Force. Before that, the complex underwent an extensive testing program during which it intercepted drones, missiles, and mortar ammunition.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense emphasizes that Iron Beam does not replace existing air defense. The system should become an additional level of defense, working together with the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow complexes.
Rafael classifies Iron Beam as a laser with a power of about 100 kilowatts and claims the ability to hit various air targets at distances from several hundred meters to ten kilometers. The complex uses high-precision optics, automatic tracking, and a beam control system.
The Israeli experience shows that between the successful destruction of a demonstration target and the creation of a full-fledged element of national air defense lie years of testing, integration, development of energy infrastructure, and serial production.
The Ukrainian approach is different. The state is trying to go through the same path much faster and cheaper, as developments are immediately tested in real war conditions. This accelerates the search for working solutions but does not eliminate the physical limitations of laser technology.
What may change in the coming months
The main event will not be another demonstration of a burning small drone, but the confirmed use of the system against a moving Shahed in a real combat situation.
After that, several more questions will need to be answered:
- how many targets the installation can destroy in a short period;
- how it works during rain, fog, smoke, and snowfall;
- what range of impact is confirmed by tests;
- how much energy the complex requires;
- how quickly new installations can be produced;
- whether it is possible to integrate the laser with the existing Ukrainian air target detection network;
- how many complexes are needed to protect one large city or infrastructure object.
NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency considers it fundamentally important to distinguish between promising technology and already proven combat capability. Ukraine has indeed come closer to creating its own laser weapons, and the statements of the military command show that the project has moved beyond laboratory experiments.
But the period of two to three months still means the appearance of new means and the next stage of development, not the creation of an impenetrable laser dome over the entire country.
Even a limited series of installations can significantly change the situation. If the laser can relatively cheaply destroy FPV drones and part of the Shaheds, Ukraine will have the opportunity to save expensive missiles, reduce the load on mobile fire groups, and strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure.
In this case, the Ukrainian combat laser will become not a fantastic ‘weapon of the future,’ but a practical element of multi-level air defense — similar to how Israel considers Iron Beam not as a replacement for all complexes, but as another specialized line of defense.