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The Ukrainian Armed Forces have recently introduced the ‘dragon drone’ – a new and highly destructive tool that employs a flammable thermite mixture designed to target and destroy military equipment hidden within vegetation.
The mixture is composed of aluminum powder and iron oxide and burns at temperatures reaching up to 2,200 degrees Celsius. Recent videos posted on social media, including Telegram by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, showcase these low-flying drones releasing molten metal onto Russian positions concealed within the trees. This extreme heat quickly sets fire to the trees and plants that Russian forces use to hide in, potentially leading to casualties or disabling their equipment, as reported by CNN and Interesting Engineering.
The drones’ nickname, ‘dragon drones,’ comes from the resemblance of the falling thermite to fire from a dragon’s mouth. Nicholas Drummond, a defense industry analyst and former British Army officer notes that while the thermite drones are highly destructive, their primary impact might be psychological rather than purely physical. Drummond explained to CNN that the innovative use of drones to deliver thermite is intended to create fear more than cause extensive physical damage. He also highlighted that Ukraine’s capacity to deploy thermite is limited, so it is likely that this will not be a weapon commonly used in battle.
These thermite bombs are a powerful tool. According to Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), Ukraine has previously used thermite to disable Russian tanks by dropping it through hatches, igniting and destroying everything inside. In the instance of the dragon drone, the combination of it ability to go undetected with its extreme destructiveness makes it highly effective. However, Human Rights Watch has highlighted the severe burns and injuries caused by incendiary weapons like thermite, underscoring their notorious human cost. While thermite is not banned for military use under international law, its application against civilian targets is prohibited due to its severe effects.
