War in Ukraine: Innovative laser weapons, Kiev wants to partner with Germany for a large

Kiev continues to modernize its arsenal of war. The Ukrainian government announced on Friday that they have had new discussions with Germany to “coordinate common projects” that are expected to be “implemented soon.”

“It is worth noting that the joint projects concern the following areas: significant strengthening of air defense systems, additional financing for the production of deep-strike and medium-range strike drones, and the development of common technological solutions,” read a statement shared on the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense website.

Is there only one laser weapon in the Ukrainian arsenal?

The most important part of this statement is elsewhere. Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov confirmed discussing with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius “the prospects for cooperation in the field of innovative laser weapons.”

While no details have leaked about this partnership on laser weapons, it is a first at the European level. So far, Ukraine has already presented locally-made laser weapons such as the Trident.

Unveiled in April 2025, this system can destroy drones and aircraft at distances of up to 5,000 meters. The commander of unmanned systems forces at the time, Vadym Sukharevskyi, even mentioned in December 2024 an improved range of 2 km.

Since then, no other laser weapon has been publicly presented by the Ukrainian army, nor praised by Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president who likes to showcase improvements in his arsenal. This new partnership is expected to be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group scheduled for April 15.