Ukraine at OSCE: Occupiers used blinding lasers in Luhansk region

"On May 10-16, Ukrainian service members near Stanytsia Luhanska faced the use of a powerful light emitter by Russian armed formations. These could be so-called blinding lasers made in Russia," the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna said during a meeting of the OSCE Security Co-operation Forum on May 19, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

A photograph and a scheme of the use of such lasers by the Russian occupiers were also demonstrated.

Ukrainian diplomats stressed that the use of optical or optoelectronic equipment was prohibited by Protocol IV of the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects.

Article 1 of Protocol IV to this Convention prohibits "to employ laser weapons specifically designed, as their sole combat function or as one of their combat functions, to cause permanent blindness to unenhanced vision, that is to the naked eye or to the eye with corrective eyesight devices." The contracting parties, including Russia, pledged not to transfer such weapons to any state or non-state entity.

As reported, cases of the use of laser weapons by the Russian-occupation forces in eastern Ukraine were already recorded.

On May 12, Commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Serhiy Nayev informed about the use of special laser optoelectronic countermeasures by the occupiers to prevent visual surveillance. According to Nayev, it is possible that the enemy uses the portable laser countermeasure system PAPV 1PN47 which is in service with the Russian Armed Forces.

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