A U.S. mercenary volunteering with Ukraine lost $85,000 to a fraudulent “laser weapon” deal, in which two Kyiv men promised a device capable of shooting down Russian drones and even ballistic missiles. The suspects convinced the American, a volunteer with Ukrainian heritage, with a staged demonstration supposedly showing the “laser” burning the wing of a drone at close range. In reality, they lacked any expertise or intent to fabricate such a weapon, and after receiving installment payments in excess of 3.2 million hryvnias (about $85,000), never delivered anything. Watch for more.