Ukrainian “Dragon drones” burn down Russian positions

Ukrainian “dragon drones” burn down Russian positions

Thermite is being used more and more frequently on the front lines. The mixture can even burn through metal. Human rights organizations warn of the devastating consequences.

Published today at 19:05

“It burns the positions with a precision that no other weapon can achieve”: use of a thermite bomb.

Photo: Screenshot/Twitter

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An object flies over a forest. It sprays a shower of glowing sparks. Within minutes, an entire forest is in flames. The image was shared on the Facebook account of the 60th Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine. It shows the use of a so-called thermite drone. “It brings the fire straight from the sky!”, says the post. The weapon, which is also called the “dragon drone” because of its fire-breathing properties, is reportedly in use by the Ukrainian army.

According to Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), a British organization that campaigns against gun violence, thermite has a particularly destructive power. The chemical mixture of aluminum powder and iron oxide generates extremely high temperatures of up to 2200 degrees Celsius. This means that thermite can even easily burn through steel and other metals. “This makes it an ideal tool for disabling equipment, vehicles and bunkers,” AOAV wrote in a report from early September.

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Two sources from different units of the Ukrainian military told the Ukrainian newspaper Ukrajinska Pravda that the thermite drones on the front line are mainly used to destroy Russian infantry that has taken cover in forest strips.

They are normal drones with a container of thermite mixture attached to them. “The drone lifts the container into the air, flies to the forest, ignites the mixture over the forest, pours it through the opening and ideally returns to base,” the Ukrainian newspaper said about how the “Dragon Drone” works.

The 60th Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine writes on Facebook that the thermite drone poses a “real threat” to the enemy: “It burns his positions with a precision that no other weapon can achieve.”

Great danger for the civilian population

The dangerous mixture falls under the category of incendiary weapons, which also includes the banned napalmThis was already used in the Vietnam War with devastating effects for the civilian population. Various human rights organizations have been warning for years about the effects of these destructive weapons.

According to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), thermite causes extensive and extremely painful burns that require painful treatment. “Those who survive these injuries often suffer for the rest of their lives,” the 2023 report said. Under international law, thermite is not banned for military purposes. However, its use against civilian targets is prohibited due to its devastating effects on the human body.

At least 82 attacks

Incendiary bombs are also used on the Russian side in Ukraine. According to HRW, there were at least 82 attacks on both sides between February 2022 and April 2023 in which incendiary weapons were used. It was not always clear which mixture was used. The attacks took place in at least seven Ukrainian regions.

Action on Armed Violence warns in its latest report about the use of thermite in Ukraine: “The widespread use of thermite bombs increases the likelihood that these weapons will be used in populated areas.” The result could be catastrophic, with horrific injuries and casualties among the civilian population. Russia has reportedly used incendiary weapons in residential areas in the past, such as in a village near Kharkiv in May 2022 and in March 2023 in Vuhledar in Donetsk (see video below).

According to Nicholas Drummond, a defense industry analyst specializing in land warfare and a former British Army officer, the use of a drone to deliver thermite is very innovative. However, Ukraine has only limited capacity to carry out attacks with the mixture, Drummond told US television channel CNN. “If Ukraine really wants to achieve something, it needs sufficient mass to force a real breakthrough like at Kursk.”

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topicnews · September 9, 2024

Ukrainian “Dragon drones” burn down Russian positions

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