Russia is allegedly using its invasion of Ukraine to test new warfare technology. According to Reuters, the Russian government is employing a new generation of laser weaponry to fight Western technology that is assisting Ukraine’s self-defense. Russia, according to Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov, is testing prototypes for a drone-destroying laser weapon called Zadira, which can burn up drones. According to the official, one test burnt a drone 3.1 miles distant in five seconds.

Peresvet, a more established technology, is said to blind satellites up to 932 miles above Earth. Borisov said that this was already “widely implemented.” According to the deputy commander, new lasers with broad electromagnetic bands might someday replace traditional weaponry.

This isn’t the first time cutting-edge technology has been used in the conflict against Ukraine. According to CNN, Russia has launched multiple Kinzhal hypersonic missiles towards Ukrainian targets. This Iskander short-range ballistic missile type may be fired from a fighter plane (the MiG-31K). Russia claims that Kinzhal is nearly hard to stop because to its rapid speed, but US and UK officials have questioned its efficacy, claiming that it is simply an air-launched variation of a conventional weapon.

It’s impossible to say how effectively the lasers operate in practice, as it is with hypersonic weapons. Russia has made several misleading assertions about its overall capabilities and the conflict in Ukraine, where it has struggled to gain territory despite a strong force. However, these deployments may be more about symbolism than turning the war around – Russia wants to brag about its technological strength while discouraging more material backing for Ukraine.