Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says Russia’s claim that it is close to introducing a high-powered laser weapon system to shoot down drones in Ukraine is wartime propaganda distributed by leaders afraid to admit their “catastrophic mistakes.”
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said at a conference near Moscow on May 18 that Russia had developed laser systems that “are many times more powerful, allowing for the incineration of various targets,” the state-run news agency TASS reported.
According to the report, the new system has a range of 5 kilometers and was tested on May 18, incinerating a drone within five seconds.
Asked if such weapons were being used in Ukraine, Borisov said: “Yes. The first prototypes are already being used there.”
The information could not be verified, and no pictures of the laser system accompanied the report, however, Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018 unveiled that a laser weapon was part of a secret arsenal.
The laser system is to replace air-defense missiles, which are much more expensive, according to Borisov, who also praised a Russian laser weapon called Peresvet, which he said was being widely deployed and, while it cannot shoot down drones, can blind satellites up to 1,500 kilometers above Earth.
Zelenskiy mocked the announcement in his nightly video address, saying it “clearly indicates the complete failure of the invasion” and shows that Russian leaders “are afraid to admit that catastrophic mistakes were made at the highest state and military level in Russia.”
Zelenskiy said Russian leaders were searching for a “wonder weapon,” a reference to propaganda that Nazi Germany spread about nonexistent weapons that would ensure a turning point after it became clear that Germany had no chance of winning the war.