Ruthenium-based photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT) agents are phototherapeutic prodrugs similar to sensitisers used in photodynamic therapy, but deprived of oxygen-sensitisation properties. They are activated by an O2-independent bond cleavage mechanism called photosubstitution that also works in hypoxic cancer cells. However, it is challenging to red-shift the absorption and photosubstitution reactivity of such compounds to the near-infrared region of the spectrum, where light optimally penetrates biological tissues. Quite often, shifting the absorption to the NIR domain leads to quenching of the excited states and a loss of the photosubstitution reactivity. In this presentation, we will present a new family of ruthenium-based photocages for PACT that can activated with high quantum yields using NIR light. They are very versatile and we have demonstrated photoaging of >12 anticancer drugs based on thioethers, pyridines, and imidazole. We have realised modelling studies to understand why these comparatively simple compounds show such amazing light-activation properties.