Article on Russia's "Tsar Laser", an under-construction bigger version of the US National Ignition Facility which you sometimes hear about making #Fusion Energy Breakthroughs by zapping a target with multiple giant lasers.
Just like the #NationalIgnitionFacility, #TsarLaser's main job is the development and maintenance of nuclear weapons. But it means they feel less need to do live-fire testing of weapons, so that's good.
https://www.wired.com/story/russia-tsar-laser/
Russia Is Powering Up a Giant Laser to Test Its Nuclear Weapons

To check that atomic weapons work, scientists run simulations of explosions using high-energy lasers—and Russia is building the strongest one of all.

WIRED