Ukraine military to get DragonFire-style drone-killing lasers within months

Date:
Wed, 29 Jul 2026 21:05:00 +0000

Description:
Ukraine says drone-killing lasers could reach the front by autumn, even as
the manufacturer's own numbers show engagement ranges shrinking from five kilometers to under one as testing continues.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Ukraine's deputy commander-in-chief says combat lasers could reach the front within two to three months Tryzub's own May 2026 figures, 800 to 900 meters against FPV drones and 1,500 meters against reconnaissance UAVs, are far below the three- to five-kilometer claims made by military officials in 2025 Ukrainian forces have set themselves a 95% drone interception rate goal, with lasers being incorporated as part of their multi-layered defense plans Ukraine could field combat lasers against aerial targets within two to three months, according to Brigadier General Andrii Lebedenko, the deputy commander-in-chief of the
Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Teams within the Armed Forces and private Ukrainian defense companies are developing the systems, and a prototype called Tryzub, or Trident, is undergoing trials at proving grounds. General Lebedenko said the technology can already shoot down FPV drones and is already working against Shaheds, and that within two to three months Ukraine would have systems capable of hitting aerial attack weapons better than machine guns can. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here: The need of the hour or a prototype that is becoming increasingly less ambitious? Tryzub has been publicly discussed for about 19 months, and the disclosed performance has moved in an unusual direction.

In December 2024, Vadym Sukharevskyi, then commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces, told Interfax that Ukraine had become roughly the fifth country in
the world to possess a laser weapon and could shoot down aircraft at
altitudes above two kilometers, though Ukrainian reporting of the quote notes that "aircraft" was understood to mean drones. You may like Ukraine preps drone-killing laser which can destroy targets 3 miles away Ukraine wants to
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In April 2025, he presented the system publicly with a larger set of numbers: drones and cruise missiles engaged out to three kilometers, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to five kilometers, and sensor dazzling to ten
kilometers.

Then, in May 2026, the manufacturer disclosed what the hardware actually
does. Celebra Tech, the Ukrainian company behind Tryzub, said the trailer-mounted configuration destroys FPV drones at 800 to 900 meters and reconnaissance UAVs at around 1,500 meters, with work continuing toward Shahed-class interception at ranges approaching five kilometers. The company also said the system had entered final testing and that roughly 15 people
were working on it. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners
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Ten weeks later, Lebedenko said the laser was already downing FPVs and
already working against Shaheds, without giving specific ranges. If Celebra Tech's stated range claims hold, they still paint a much more sobering
picture of Tryzub's capabilities.

The appeal of directed energy in a war that has tilted toward cheap, expendable systems rather than expensive, high-end ones is obvious. The binding constraint, however, is atmospheric.

A laser needs a clear optical path, and fog, rain, snow, smoke, and battlefield dust all attenuate the beam. Autumn and winter in eastern Ukraine supply all of those, so a system arriving on Lebedenko's timeline would meet its least favorable operating conditions almost immediately, which could be why the specs are downplayed by the manufacturer versus those being presented in public.

Even as it continues its focus on its drone defenses, Ukraine is expanding
its drone supply from domestic and foreign sources in parallel as it looks to score wins on a front line that has arguably slowed as the conflict enters
its fifth year. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/ukraine-military-to-get-dragonfire-style-drone-k illing-lasers-within-months


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