Russians using L.aser Dazzle in Ukraine?

[Easy Street]

Embedded in the BBC News link below is a short video clip from a Ukranian border patrol aircraft (presumably a UAV) which shows a Russian soldier (erm, sorry, a 'local self-protection militiaman') looking through what appears to be binoculars at it. Either he is using a pair of rangefinding binoculars and is pressing the range button continuously, or he's using some kind of l.aser dazzle device. I wonder if anyone knows what it is? Good news (for UAVs, anyway) is that the effect is barely noticeable. If that's the best they can do against slow, low targets I don't see that device holding much of a threat for fast-moving manned aircraft.

BBC News - Pro-Ukraine activists beaten up in Crimea

[VinRouge]

Looks just like a high powered green laser pointer to me. Certainly familiar to what you get flying over T'Egypt these days.

[Hangarshuffle]

Was also on Sky just now.

looked like a monocular and produced flash green.....not serious with that are they, not exactly dazzling in daylight....?

[Trim Stab]

from a Ukranian border patrol aircraft (presumably a UAV)

They are using DA42Ms with Wescam EO/IR. Same video is on Youtube and even shows a bit of the airframe at the end of the clip.

Ukrainian border guards Diamond DA42 patrol aircraft observing Russian positions - YouTube

[TEEEJ]

Image of Ukrainian Border Guard Service DA-42 at following link.

Photos: Diamond DA-42 MPP NG Guardian Aircraft Pictures | Airliners.net

[awblain]

Blinding weapons are illegal.

Although, since it didn't even saturate the video, it's not likely to be one.

[Trim Stab]

Although, since it didn't even saturate the video, it's not likely to be one.

It wouldn't matter if it was - neither pilot nor operator would be looking at the ground target directly with naked-eye.

Camera operator showed restraint though - I might have been tempted to sparkle back with the range-finder laser.

Interesting to observe in that video that some shots are at a fairly low elevation to the target, yet only briefly does a bit of airframe come into view, showing the advantage of a surveillance platform with retractable gear. Try flying those sorts of elevations with an Islander/Defender (or Hermes?) and you would have gear struts continually floating across the picture.

[awblain]

It wouldn't matter if it was - neither pilot nor operator would be looking at the ground target directly with naked-eye.

The laser firer can't know that, so I'd say it was illegal - if the laser is sufficiently powerful to cause eye damage, and he can see that the aircraft is manned through his binoculars.

If the crew shone a laser with the same power at him, that would be worse, since it looks like he's using binoculars.

The issue of the legality of lasers used in targeting systems is interesting - it's never been tested, but could be open to challenge.

Then again, bullets blind if they go through your eye...