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Ukraine Claims to Deploy Tryzub Laser System to Counter Russian Loitering Munitions.
During a defense industry conference held in Kyiv in December 2024, Colonel Vadym Sukharevskyi, commander of Ukraine’s newly established Unmanned Systems Forces, first disclosed the existence of a new anti-air laser weapon named Tryzub. Two months later, in February 2025, he confirmed in an interview with Radio Free Europe that the system had already been deployed in the field and used against low-flying aerial targets. Although this information has yet to be independently verified, the announcement could place Ukraine among the few countries to have fielded directed-energy technology in an active conflict.
South Korea’s Skylight laser system, operational since late 2024, can neutralize drones within a 2–3 km range and operates from an 81-cubic-meter container generating up to 700°C heat in short bursts (Picture source: ROK)
Amid a war increasingly defined using Iranian-made Shahed drones and other loitering munitions by Russian forces, the Tryzub — meaning "trident" in Ukrainian, a nod to the national emblem — reflects both Kyiv’s pursuit of advanced defensive capabilities and the domestic military industry’s efforts to innovate under wartime constraints. If confirmed, the system’s use to engage aerial targets at low altitudes would represent a significant development in Ukraine’s ongoing attempt to counter a militarily superior adversary in terms of equipment volume.
Colonel Sukharevskyi, who leads the Unmanned Systems Forces, is the source of the information on Tryzub. According to his statements, the laser weapon is already being used to neutralize airborne threats. However, no specific details have been released about its location, the number of systems deployed, or the type and quantity of targets it has engaged. No images or recordings of Tryzub have been published so far, and Brave1, the Ukrainian government’s defense technology coordination platform, declined to comment on the matter.
High-energy laser weapons require complex infrastructure, particularly in terms of power supply and cooling systems. These technical demands often restrict their mobility. Experts suggest that Tryzub could be mounted on a truck, similar to South Korea’s Skylight laser system, which entered service in late 2024. That system, capable of neutralizing drones within a two-to-three-kilometer range, is housed in an 81-cubic-meter container and produces temperatures of up to 700°C during ten- to twenty-second bursts. A similar configuration may apply to the Ukrainian system.
Given the limited available information, speculation has emerged around the origins of Tryzub. Some analysts suspect a potential connection to the British DragonFire program, developed by MBDA in cooperation with Leonardo and Qinetiq. The UK had initially considered transferring the system to Ukraine in April 2024 but reversed that decision a month later, citing an expected service entry date of 2027. While the UK Ministry of Defence has remained discreet about the contents of its aid packages, Leonardo has firmly denied any link between DragonFire and Tryzub, and MBDA declined to comment.
Skepticism persists among defense experts, largely due to the technological sophistication required to field such a system. Nonetheless, several factors support the possibility of an indigenous development. Ukraine’s industrial base remains deeply rooted in its former Soviet-era military infrastructure, and the Russian invasion triggered a rapid and significant restructuring of the country’s R&D and defense production capabilities. According to a January 2025 report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Ukrainian authorities approved over 600 domestically developed weapon systems in the first nine months of 2024 alone.
The Defense Tech 2025 exhibition, held in Kyiv in February, highlighted counter-drone solutions against Shahed UAVs and directed-energy technologies. This context reinforces the notion that Tryzub may be one of the key demonstrations of Ukraine’s efforts to develop unconventional weapons systems. The Unmanned Systems Forces, founded in 2024, have also played a pivotal role in the advancement of drone swarming capabilities, enabling coordinated strikes deep into enemy-held territory.
Other countries have also pursued similar initiatives. Japan unveiled a 10-kilowatt truck-mounted laser weapon in late 2024, while Russia revealed its Peresvet system in 2019, reportedly designed to blind satellites. In 2022, Moscow claimed it had deployed a laser weapon called Zadira, said to be capable of destroying targets within five seconds at distances up to five kilometers. The United States, Israel, Germany, Turkey, and Australia are likewise developing or testing land-based laser systems, although most remain in pre-operational stages.
In this broader international context, the potential fielding of Tryzub would position Ukraine among the limited group of nations that have implemented laser weapons in actual combat. It would also reflect Ukraine’s reliance on technological adaptation to offset structural military disadvantages. Whether the system remains an experimental prototype
Tryzub represents both a bold technological proposition and a strategic communication tool within a war that increasingly hinges on rapid innovation. Whether it stands as a unique demonstrator or the first of many operational models, its existence signals a transformation underway within Ukraine’s defense-industrial apparatus — one driven by the immediacy of war and the imperative to adapt through indigenous technological solutions.