Support The Moscow Times!

Russia's New Laser Weapons Systems Enter Into Service, Military Says

mil.ru

Russia’s new "Peresvet" laser weapons systems have been put on combat duty, the Defense Ministry has said.

President Vladimir Putin first announced the development of the lasers, one of Russia's six new major offensive weapons systems, during a state-of-the-nation speech in March in which he proposed that the public vote to name them. After an online vote, the system was named “Peresvet,” in honor of a medieval Russian warrior monk.

The Peresvet laser complex entered into combat service on Dec. 1, the Defense Ministry’s Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper reported on Wednesday.

The ministry released a video on social media of the weapons complex being deployed.

The first shipments of the weapons began in 2017 as part of the military’s modernization program, according to the paper, while military personnel learned to deploy and apply the weapons during special training at the Mozhaysky Military Space Academy in St. Petersburg. 

The systems are capable of “concealing the areas of deployment of intercontinental ballistic missiles” and will be used in air defense and military defense, Viktor Murakhovsky, an expert at Russia’s Military Industrial Commission, was cited as saying by Krasnaya Zvezda.

In August, The United States voiced concern over Russia's pursuit of Peresvet, calling the development of the weapon "disturbing."

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more