A day before all hell broke loose over Russian airfields with a shocking Ukrainian drone attack that destroyed multiple strategic bombers, some pro-Russian military sources published the video of what is believed to be a Chinese-origin anti-drone laser system operating in Russia.
The alleged Chinese system was spotted in a video initially posted to the Military Information Telegram channel. It has now been shared extensively on X.
The video opens with a shot of Russian troops operating the system and pressing some tabs. Then, the frame shifts to laser system testing against a steel plate, followed by footage of the shooting down of unidentified Ukrainian drones.
Social media has since been replete with claims that the system in question is named ‘Low-Altitude Laser Defending System’ (LASS) and has been provided to the Russians by China.
The LASS is also reportedly known as the Silent Hunter. It is a turret-mounted platform equipped with optical targeting sensors and a 10 kW laser, believed to be developed by the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics.
If true, the video would be the first documented instance of the Chinese laser system being used operationally against Ukraine.
The Telegram channel gave no information on when the video was taken. However, it noted that the technology is currently being operated by the Nomad special forces squad.
The EurAsian Times could not independently corroborate these claims, and China has categorically denied providing offensive weapons to Russia for use against Ukraine.
There is no official confirmation by either side.
🇷🇺📹 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
Nonetheless, several military observers have noted that the system shown in the video bears an uncanny resemblance to the laser system that China had earlier delivered to Iran.
In October last year, a Chinese laser counter-drone system–identified as Shen Nung– was spotted in Tehran, Iran, during a sermon given by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The system was spotted days after Iran launched missiles and a drone strike on Israel, and was likely deployed to protect the Supreme Leader from a potential Israeli attack at the time, as previously reported by the EurAsian Times.
Fabian Hinz, a research fellow for Defense and Military Analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, also noted that the system spotted in Russia appears to be a Chinese Shen Nung 3000/5000.
Hinz commented: “While the sensor arrangement seems to have been altered, the system observed in Russian service strongly resembles the Chinese Shen Nung 3000/5000 anti-drone laser.” “The Shen Nung system comes in both vehicle-mounted and containerized variants, and has previously been exported to Iran,” he added.
It is difficult to determine whether the system depicted in the video is a Silent Hunter or a Shen Nung.
As previously reported by the EurAsian Times, Shen Nung’s radar can identify drones from a distance of up to five kilometers. The system’s laser has a power range of 10 to 20 kW and can fire non-destructive, “dazzling” or blinding attacks over a distance of more than three kilometers. It can also really destroy some objects that approach within 1.5 kilometers.
The Shen Nung 5000 and 3000, which are containerized and 4×4 Dongfeng Mengshi light tactical truck-mounted versions of the Shen Nung, have also been shown off by China in the past.
The system seen in the Telegram video could be a variant of Shen Nung or a separate system based on it. These remain mere conjectures due to the paucity of information, and Russia is not officially known to have a system that resembles Shen Nung.
The substantial expenses associated with intercepting drones and missiles have led to an increased focus on laser-based systems in modern warfare. Typically, laser-based counter-drone systems employ a high-powered beam to engage targets at a significantly lower cost than air defense missiles, which can cost millions of dollars.
Additionally, lasers can discreetly incinerate adversarial targets without inflicting collateral damage, thereby reducing casualties. The video published by the Telegram channel suggests that the system works well against drones, unlike the spotting in Iran, where the system was photographed in the background, not in action.
“Previously, there was an opinion in the domestic information environment that combat lasers were useless and expensive toys,” the Military Informant Telegram channel wrote. “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.”
Russia has also been working on incorporating lasers into its combat capabilities. The country was earlier believed to have two different laser weapons in its arsenal, the Persevet and Zadira.
However, there is not much information about their use in combat. In August 2023, the Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that Russia had conducted successful field tests of an unnamed laser gun, destroying several drones of various types.
In a separate development earlier this year, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Denis Manturov, announced that the Pantsir air defense system will soon be outfitted with a laser complex as part of ongoing modernization efforts.
Ironically, the video of the alleged Chinese laser system was posted just a day before Ukraine launched an audacious drone attack under ‘Operation Spiderweb,’ and allegedly destroyed 40 Russian aircraft or 34% of Russia’s strategic cruise missile carriers.
Ukraine’s security service has put the estimated cost of losses at $7 billion. The drone attacks were launched from trucks that were smuggled deep inside the Russian territory. The attack was so bad that some pro-Russian military bloggers called it the country’s “Pearl Harbor.”
China Denies Arms Delivery To Russia
Citing reporting by Ukrainian security and intelligence agencies, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in April accused China of supplying weapons to Russia, including gunpowder and artillery. He also told the media that Chinese representatives were involved in weapons production on Russian territory.
“We have finally received information that China is supplying weapons to the Russian Federation. … We believe that Chinese representatives are engaged in the production of some weapons on Russian territory … We see the cooperation between these two countries in this area, and we must acknowledge it is happening,” the President was quoted.
The claims were dismissed as “groundless” by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. “China’s position on the Ukrainian issue has always been clear,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference at the time. “It has been actively committed to promoting a ceasefire and ending the conflict, as well as encouraging peace talks.”
More recently, the head of Ukraine’s foreign intelligence service, Oleh Ivashchenko, said in an interview on May 26 that he could confirm China is supplying critical materials and equipment to about 20 Russian military factories. “There is information that China supplies tooling machines, special chemical products, gunpowder, and components specifically to defence manufacturing industries,” he said. Thus, assisting production of weapons, particularly drones, in Russia.
Reports from Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service and other sources have noted on multiple occasions that China supplies up to 80% of the electronics used in Russian drones, including critical components like machine tools, special chemicals, and gunpowder for ammunition production. These are often dual-use items, which China claims are for civilian purposes but are repurposed for military use.
Last year, an intelligence assessment released by the Biden administration had also made overarching claims about Chinese military assistance to Russia, particularly in the supply of microelectronics, which are used in the production of missiles, tanks, aircraft, and other weaponry used against Ukraine.
The transfer of high-value equipment, such as a laser anti-drone system, from China to Russia is not documented. The latest video could be direct evidence of China arming Russian forces if the system is verified to be Chinese.
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