Russia has not used laser weapons in Ukraine, says Pentagon

Moscow has claimed it is using new generation of powerful lasers in Ukraine to take out drones

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The Pentagon has seen no evidence to support Russia's claims it is using powerful lasers in Ukraine, a US official said on Friday.

Russia had said earlier this week that it was using a new generation of powerful lasers in Ukraine to destroy drones as part of Moscow's secret weapons to counter a flood of western arms.

“We don't have any indication of the use of lasers, at least weaponised lasers, in Ukraine, nothing to confirm on that,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mockingly compared news of the lasers to the so-called wonder weapons that Nazi Germany unveiled in a bid to prevent defeat in the Second World War and said Moscow was covering up for running low on regular ordnance.

“The clearer it became that they had no chance in the war, the more propaganda there was about an amazing weapon that would be so powerful as to ensure a turning point,” Mr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.

“And so we see that in the third month of a full-scale war, Russia is trying to find its 'wonder weapon' … this all clearly shows the complete failure of the mission.”

Mr Kirby also said that Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin would on Monday hold a “contact group” meeting between the US and ally nations that are supporting Ukraine.

It is the second such meeting and follows a similar event that Mr Austin hosted last month at Ramstein Airbase in Germany.