Drone interceptors, satellite blinders: the evolution of Russian laser weapons

Russia is rapidly expanding its laser weapons arsenal, with systems ranging from portable anti-drone systems to sophisticated anti-satellite systems. Below is an updated and detailed overview:

A prototype portable laser system called Posokh (Russian for “stick”) has completed successful laboratory tests: it destroyed a drone’s battery from 500 m in one second, while hitting engines in flight would take just 2 ms. The tested model develops around 3 kW, while a more powerful 80 kW version is under development with a claimed operational range of 1,500 m. The Russian government has described the project as an integral part of a universal air defense system that is undergoing extensive testing.

According to a July 25, 2025, report by the Understanding War Center, Posokh prototypes hit imitator drones at 500 m in just 0.2 seconds, and tests at 1.5 km against “Liutyi”-type drones are planned.

• Peresvet : presented by Putin in 2018, it has been operational since December 2019 with approximately five divisions of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces. It is designed to “blind” satellite optics up to 1,500 km above sea level.

• Zadira : the most powerful variant described by Yury Borisov in 2022, capable of physically burning targets up to 5 km away in about 5 seconds ( ) . However, Western analysts remain cautious, pointing out the scarcity of independent confirmation ( .

Zadira is effective against single, easily detectable UAVs, but less suitable for countering autonomous swarms of drones equipped with artificial intelligence ( .

The Sokol Eshelon is an anti-satellite laser system installed on a Beriev A-60 (derived from Il-76), designed to blind satellite sensors at ranges beyond 1 500 km ( ) . From the first documented test in 1987, the project was relaunched in 2003 and remains in the experimental phase today.

In the 1960s–1980s, scientists such as Alexander Prokhorov and Nikolai Basov laid the foundations of Soviet military laser technology. Pioneering projects included:

• 1K17 Szhatie : tank equipped with a laser with artificial rubies, capable of destroying optical sensors; completed state tests in 1992 but was abandoned due to lack of funding.

• 1K11 Stilet : Forerunner equipped with an additional 400 hp engine to power the laser armament.

• Sangvin : Laser variant of the Shilka anti-aircraft system, with a range exceeding 10 km; entered service in 1983 but was not mass-produced.

• Terra laser : Concept for a zonal missile/space system designed in the 1960s; suspended after the 1972 ABM Treaty.

• Aquilon : Naval laser complex eliminated due to atmospheric inefficiency.

• Skif Space Laser : orbital anti-satellite system launched in 1987 but cancelled after test failure.

Laser weapons offer an extremely low cost per shot compared to conventional missiles and an immediate impact. However, significant technical obstacles remain:

• Energy efficiency : They require high power sources, often impractical in portable systems.

• Atmospheric disturbance (blooming) : limits its effectiveness in the presence of fog, rain, smoke or suspended particles.

• Scalability and adaptability : Current systems are quite specialized and limited by weather conditions and the need for stable and consistent targeting.

Pro-Russian sources suggest that Moscow is employing Chinese laser systems such as Shen Nung or LASS , which are supplied on vehicles and used in combat against Ukrainian drones. The system features apertures similar to the Chinese models used in Iran and appears to have worked on static and airborne targets.

Russia's renewed interest in laser weapons goes hand in hand with the need to counter increasingly autonomous drones that are resilient to electronic countermeasures. Posokh, Peresvet, Zadira, and Sokol-Eshelon cover several domains—from terrestrial to space—but time and real-world conditions will demonstrate their practical effectiveness. 2025 is marked by increasingly constant testing and official declarations of integration into future defense systems.