Russia has equipped its Shahed drones with infrared spotlights to blind the night vision equipment of Ukrainian pilots, according to the Ukrainian portal Militarnyi.
According to the report, the information was shared by radio technology expert Serhiy Flash, who posted a photo of the new modification of the Russian drone on a Telegram channel.
“This is the first time I have seen this on a Shahed. This is an IR (infrared) spotlight for drones and anti-aircraft aircraft. The enemy continues working on countermeasures,” Flash wrote.
In theory, these infrared LEDs could temporarily blind the night vision devices used by Ukrainian pilots or even completely disable older generation devices.
However, it is worth emphasizing that modern military night vision devices are equipped with built-in protection against such blinding. Therefore, the effectiveness of such countermeasures can only be determined through real operational use.
Additionally, thermal imaging, particularly the thermal cameras of interceptor drones, is not sensitive to such blinding since it operates in different spectral bands.
Still, this finding highlights Russian activities involving experiments on their attack drones. In December 2025 alone, four modifications were identified, including a new optical unit and a new communication antenna.
The installation of an air-to-air R-60 missile was also observed. This short-range missile has an infrared homing head that does not require radar to hit a target.
Its use generally 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 UAV-hunting helicopters.
Photos: Serhiy Flash. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
