While the timing may be coincidental, the implications of Chinese military technology appearing on a Russian battlefield are anything but. If verified, this would mark the first documented combat deployment of a Chinese laser system in Ukraine and could represent a significant escalation in the shadow conflict between China and the West.
The short video opens with Russian troops interacting with a touchscreen interface, followed by a laser beam test against a steel plate. Later, dramatic thermal camera footage shows the apparent shooting down of several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which pro-Russian sources claim were Ukrainian.
Social media users and military analysts quickly began dissecting the clip. The most consistent claim: the system is China’s “Low-Altitude Laser Defending System” (LASS), also known as the Silent Hunter — a high-energy laser platform capable of neutralizing drones and other low-flying aerial threats with silent, invisible beams.
Another contender: the Shen Nung 3000/5000, a modular, truck-mounted laser system developed by the Chinese Academy of Engineering Physics and already spotted in Tehran, Iran, in late 2023, during a sermon by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. There, it had appeared inactive. In this video, however, the system is allegedly seen in action — marking what could be its combat debut.
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Notably, Russian state media and the Ministry of Defense have not confirmed the system’s origin, performance, or even existence — standard operating procedure in matters of classified defense technology.
Equally silent has been China. The Chinese government has consistently denied providing offensive weaponry to Russia for use in Ukraine. In public statements, Chinese officials maintain a posture of “neutrality,” reiterating their commitment to a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Fabian Hinz, a respected analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), believes the device shown in the video resembles the Shen Nung 3000/5000, not the Silent Hunter. “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,” he noted.
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Given that both Russia and Iran have deeply integrated defense relationships with China, it is plausible that similar technology was transferred under bilateral or trilateral arrangements — either directly or via third-party components and dual-use exports.
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the laser video surfaced just a day before Ukraine launched Operation Spiderweb — one of the most consequential drone attacks in the war so far. Using long-range drones launched from trucks smuggled deep into Russian territory, Ukrainian forces targeted key airfields, reportedly destroying up to 40 aircraft, including strategic Tu-95 and Tu-160 bombers — platforms central to Russia’s long-range cruise missile capabilities.
Ukrainian security services estimated the damage at $7 billion, marking the attack as not just a tactical success but a strategic humiliation for Russia. Pro-Russian commentators online were livid, with some describing the attack as Russia’s “Pearl Harbor moment.”
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Allegations of Chinese support for Russia’s war machine are not new — but they are growing more specific.
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How real is this?
I’m sure the Chinese see the amazing opportunity to test their weapons and thats understandable, but if they deploy a bunch of them that would be a really bad sign and would mean china might get Russians other advanced weaponry.
I have seen the video in question. Here you can see it on reddit https://v.redd.it/ci9lh6v1ez3f1
The beginning of the video, a laser melting through steel, is entirely plausible. Here you can see a crazy guy making a 250 watt handheld laser.
After that the video shows a blurred interface with someone clicking on more or less distinguishable objects, you see a bright spot and then something exploding. That part is so blurry, it could be easily made up. Also i find it strange that an operator is shown using a joystick, but in the supposed interface you see a mouse cursor.
The video ends with some metal parts with burnt through holes. These could stem from lasers, but creating that on the ground with parts from earlier shot-down planes/drones is trivial.
Before giving this full credibility we need to see more videos, in particular some, where you can see the laser being shot from outside the weapons-system. As it is a huge laser, that should be trivial to catch.
I believe it’s a real weapon. Although I’m sure those are not steel plates. Probably something like led. The other video from that crazy guy is also shot at something very close.
I’m wondering what their effective range is.
In any case, if Russians get this in any significant number it will set a dangerous precedent.