Russia has equipped its Shahed– drones with infrared lights to dazzle the night vision equipment of Ukrainian pilots, the Ukrainian portal reveals Militarnyi.
According to the report, the information was shared by radio specialist Serhiy Flashwho posted a photo of the new modification of the Russian drone on a Telegram-channel.
“This is the first time I’ve seen this on one Shahed. This is an IR (infrared) searchlight for drones and anti-aircraft aircraft. The enemy is still working on countermeasures,” Flash wrote.
Theoretically, these infrared LED lights could temporarily blind the night vision equipment used by Ukrainian pilots, or even completely knock out older generations of equipment.
However, it is important to note that modern military night vision equipment is equipped with built-in protection against this type of glare. The effectiveness of such countermeasures can therefore only be determined under actual operational conditions.
In addition, thermal imaging, especially thermal cameras on interceptor drones, are not sensitive to this type of glare, as they operate in other spectral regions.
Nevertheless, the discovery highlights the Russian activities with experiments on their attack drones. In December 2025 alone, four modifications were identified, including a new optical unit and a new communications antenna.
The installation of an air-to-air missile R-60 was also identified. This short-range missile has an infrared seeker that does not need radar to hit a target.
Its use usually involves attacks on helicopters and tactical aircraft at close range. It is likely that the Russians will integrate it into the Shahed to combat Ukrainian fighter jets and helicopters hunting UAVs.
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Photos: Serhiy Flash. This content is created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
