As it turns out, Sokol Eshelon, the air-based laser anti-satellite system that was spotted some time ago is a very active project. Although the Il-76 aircraft that carries the laser looks a bit beaten up, it is very much operational (the system is known as A-60). According to an article in Krasnaya Zvezda, the Almaz-Antey design bureau that has been working on the system kept the project alive during the 1990s-2000s, seeking funding wherever it could find it.

On August 28, 2009 the airborne laser was used for a full-scale experiment, in which the laser illuminated a spacecraft deployed on a 1500-km orbit. The laser does not have a capability to destroy satellites - the idea is that it could blind their sensors. It appears that the 2009 test was not intended to actually blind the satellite - rather, the experiment involved detection of a signal reflected from the orbiting spacecraft. The A-60 system has also been used to track "tens of satellites" to make sure that it can reliably follow orbiting targets.

As far as I can tell, while the Sokol Eshelon system is in the development (OKR) stage, there are no immediate plans to deploy it. At least not yet. It is understandable, however, that Almaz-Antey is trying to get its project fully funded - everybody wants to get a slice of the 19 trillion roubles that Russian government plans to spend on its military in the next decade.