Video: Ukraine’s ‘Dragon drone’ rains molten metal on Russian targets

Russian-held positions in the occupied Kharkiv region came under fire after Ukrainian drones dropped thermite incendiary bombs, burning down trees and reportedly some Russian military vehicles. Footage of the fire-spitting ‘Dragon drones’ has surfaced on various Telegram channels.

A Telegram channel called the Khorn Group shared an undated footage of thermite being dropped from a low-flying drone – thermite is a mixture of aluminium powder and iron oxide that burns at a very high temperature. The molten metal can quickly burn trees, fortifications and metals, rendering military vehicles and armour useless.

Ukraine’s 60th Mechanized Brigade shared drone footage of the thermite bombing and said, “Strike drones are the wings of our retaliation, bringing fire straight from the sky! They pose a real threat to the enemy, burning out his positions with such precision that no other weapon can do it. When our “Vidar” works – the Russian woman will never sleep.” These weapons are considered to be the most dangerous in the world.

In Scandinavian mythology Vidar is associated with the god of vengeance.

The use of incendiary bombs – weapons designed to start fires – has focused attention on their potential use on civilian populations and installations other than the military. In 2023, Russia used thermite bombs on the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhladar after losing a tank battle. The Russians threw thermite on the border town.

The Russians reportedly used 122 mm Grad 9M22S rockets, fired from a Soviet-era B-21 multi-rocket launcher system with a Thermit warhead.

Several videos have emerged showing Russian and Ukrainian soldiers using such weapons on the frontline. Thermite, unlike conventional bombs that rely on the blast effect, generates intense heat. It is widely used in welding of steel, iron and railway tracks.

“The widespread use of thermite bombs increases the likelihood of these weapons being deployed in populated areas. The consequences could be catastrophic, with horrific injuries to civilians and loss of life,” said Dr. Ian Overton, executive director of British advocacy group Action on Armed Violence (AOAV).

Thermite has a slow ignition and requires very high temperatures to ignite. These temperatures cannot be achieved with conventional black powder fuses or nitrocellulose rods. They are often achieved by magnesium metal strips that are used as fuses.

Use of incendiary bombs in the past

Incendiary weapons were used in World War I, when German and Allied forces used such weapons against their opponents. The American Thermite Hand Grenade Mark I and the French Model 1916 incendiary grenade were weapons used during World War I.

The Germans developed the B1.3E, 1938, incendiary bomb just before World War II. The Luftwaffe (German Air Force) used it extensively to bomb British cities. “During 1940-41, the Luftwaffe caused severe damage by dropping large quantities of incendiary bombs on British cities and towns, either using containers that were carried on bomb racks and released to open at a predetermined point, or from very large containers holding up to 700 bombs that were left on the aircraft,” the Imperial War Museum said.

A German B1E 1 kg incendiary aircraft bomb
Photo credit: Image credit: Imperial War Museum © IWM (MUN 3291)

The Allied forces used napalm (a flammable mixture of gasoline and a gelling agent) for bombing and fire-setting. The US used napalm to target Japanese cities. About 60% of Tokyo was burned during napalm bombing. It has been used extensively since its creation in 1942.

During the Vietnam War, the use of napalm and the Dow Chemical Company that manufactured it drew world attention to how dangerous it was to use such weapons on civilians, causing severe burns.

International Regulations on the Use of Incendiary Weapons

Efforts to address the issue of incendiary weapons began in the 1970s, particularly with growing concern over the use of napalm. In 1972, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution referring to incendiary weapons as a ‘class of weapons of intimidation’.

In 1980, the Convention on Prohibitions and Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects was adopted, aimed at banning or limiting the use of certain types of weapons that cause unnecessary or unjustified suffering to combatants or indiscriminately affect civilians.

The Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Incendiary Weapons (Protocol III) aims to protect civilians and civilian objects from the use of such weapons. It prohibits the targeting of civilians and prohibits the targeting of military objects located in populated areas. The Protocol also prohibits the use of incendiary weapons on forests or other vegetation, unless the vegetation is used to conceal military objects.