Not only Ukraine, Russia also uses drones that launch thermite and set enemy positions on fire at 2,000ºC

Not only Ukraine, Russia also uses drones that launch thermite and set enemy positions on fire at 2,000ºC

Two weeks ago, a series of videos began to circulate showing a new weapon of the Army. Ukraine. In them you could see a FPV dronebaptized as Dragonthrowing thermite on Russian positions hidden among trees and undergrowth, and how it burned quickly. Now it is Russia who is using the same tactics and throws thermite on Ukrainian troopsas can be seen in a new video that has been reported by various media outlets.

Thermite is a combination of metal oxide and aluminum that burns at about 2,000 degrees. Drones attack by dispersing it over the rows of trees and other areas of vegetation where the enemy seeks refuge, as well as in the trenches. Burning vegetation reduces enemy hiding places, increasing their exposure, and by dropping it where troops are hidden, including trenches, the termite can kill anyone in them, either by direct contact or by removing oxygen and suffocating the soldiers.

The video posted on Telegram by the Moscow politician and military journalist Andrey Medvedev shows Russian troops deploying their ‘dragon’ drone. It is the first video of its kind to appear and shows a soldier placing a canister containing thermite into a first-person view droneThe missile is then launched, presumably towards a Ukrainian position. The video shows both the point of view of the Russian drone operating the missile and that of a second drone filming the operation.

‘Meanwhile, Russian drone pilots (hooligans, actually) from the Omut Group (video author) is filming the third season of ‘House of the Dragon’ somewhere in the vastness of military special operations. A masked man plays Prince Daemon Targaryen. A drone with a load of thermite plays the dragon. A Ukrainian fortress plays the role of Harrenhal Castle in the landing,’ Medvedev wrote in a post full of references to the television series ‘Game of Thrones’.

Unlike the Dragon drones seen in Ukraine, Russia’s one drops a shower of sparks much lower than that of its counterpart. ‘Jokes aside, The war is increasingly becoming a drone war. And arson drones are increasingly appearing on video. At this point, the result of the drone’s work is not very obvious. But in the end, it burned completely. As Prince Daemon said, “Dreams did not make us kings. Dragons did,” he added.

According to Human Rights Watchboth Ukraine and Russia had thermite weapons before the use of these drones for their dissemination became known. The organization claims to have visual evidence of at least 82 attacks in Ukraine using incendiary weapons between February 2022, the start of the invasion, and April 2023.

‘At this time, it is not possible to attribute responsibility for specific attacks, but Both Russia and Ukraine possess the same types of incendiary weaponsincluding rockets Grad 122mm artillery shells that carry incendiary weapons,’ the organisation said.

The use of FPV drones to drop thermite will likely become more common from now on, as it achieves an effect that neither army can achieve otherwise, at very low cost and without risk for the drone operator. A single drone can cause much more damage than the usual ones equipped with ammunition, and there is also the psychological angle of the terror that such a weapon causes in the enemy.