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By Ellie Cook
Senior Defense Reporter
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Russia will test a new laser system designed to take out mines without detonating the explosive devices, state media reported on Thursday.
Why It Matters
More than three and a half years into the full-scale war, Ukraine is one of the most mined countries in the world, according to the U.N.'s Development Programme. The organization said last month just under a quarter of Ukraine's territory needs to be checked for explosives, and some estimates have come in slightly higher. Clearing mines after a conflict can often take decades.
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The HALO Trust, a major mine clearance charity, said earlier this year an area bigger than the size of Greece was at risk of land mines and unexploded ordnance in Ukraine.
There are different ways to demine territory, from using dogs to sniff out land mines to sappers—combat engineers focusing on clearing mines—manually working their way through an area, or operators remotely controlling large demining machines.
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What To Know
Russian technology company LazerBuzz have developed a way to "selectively burn out explosives, facilitating safe demining operations" using lasers, Russian state news agency Tass reported.
Many militaries are investing heavily in laser technology, including to intercept aerial threats like drones.
The company will test the technology at a "designated testing ground within the current special operation zone," Tass reported. This term is commonly used in Russian state media and political discussions to refer to Ukraine.
The company said the equipment—dubbed Posokh, or "pikestaff"—can be transported on the back of a vehicle, set up within 10 minutes and operated by two people.
An operator would use a tablet to direct the machine's laser from up to 700 meters away, LazerBuzz told the state-run news agency.
Unmanned technology, which has come to dominate the conflict in Ukraine, is often described as a way to keep people out of harm's way in dangerous situations. Explosive devices can be unpredictable, easily triggered, hard to detect or camouflaged.
The laser demining kit "is able to make the work of sappers many times safer," a LazerBuzz spokesperson said.
Russian state-owned defense corporation Rostec said in late June developers working for one of its holding companies had showcased a new tracked ground-robot with a laser for mine-clearing operations at a technology forum in western Russia. The equipment is capable of "remotely neutralizing explosive objects," Rostec said.
It works by "burning the shell and melting the explosive without its detonation," according to the company.
LazerBuzz says it has been "assembling and supplying professional laser equipment" since 2023.
What People Are Saying
"Massive contamination, particularly of agricultural land, has created an urgent need for effective mechanized demining solutions," the U.N. said of Ukraine in July 2025.
Russian technology company LazerBuzz told state media: "Currently existing methods of detonating shells have difficulties and increased risks."
What Happens Next
It's not clear when the equipment will be rolled out for testing in Ukraine.
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