'Dragon Drone' Spitting Fiery Red Molten Metal from the Sky... Ukraine Deploys New Weapon to Russian Positions

Thermite Metal Mixture Dropped at 2200°C
Called 'Dragon Drone' for Resemblance to Fire-Breathing Dragon

There are reports that the Ukrainian military has deployed a new weapon called the 'Draegon Drone,' which drops a metal substance reaching 2200 degrees Celsius from the air to burn areas occupied by Russian forces on the battlefield.

On the 7th (local time), the US CNN broadcast analyzed videos recently posted on social media platforms such as the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense's Telegram and reported this. In the video, a Ukrainian military drone flies low over a forest area occupied by Russian forces and drops something that looks like flames.

This drone weapon resembles a dragon that breathes fire from its mouth, hence the nickname 'Draegon Drone.' The Draegon Drone drops a molten substance made of thermite, a special metal mixture of aluminum and iron oxide.

Attack scene of the Ukrainian military's new weapon 'Dragon Drone' using the metal mixture 'Thermite' [Image source=Yonhap News]

This substance can burn at up to 2200 degrees Celsius, allowing it to directly strike Russian troops and quickly burn the trees or forests that conceal them. The Ukrainian 60th Mechanized Brigade explained in a post on social media that the thermite-dropping drone "burns enemy positions with a precision that no other weapon can achieve, posing a real threat to the enemy."

Nicholas Drummond, a former British Army officer and military industry expert, told CNN, "The main effect of the Ukrainian military's use of thermite drones is to instill fear in the enemy." He added, "When used in this way, the effect is more psychological than physical," and "As far as I know, Ukraine currently has only limited capability to deliver thermite, so this is more of a niche capability than a new main weapon."

Appearance of Ukrainian forces using Dragon drones [Image source: Captured from the Facebook page of Ukraine's 60th Mechanized Brigade, Yonhap News]

Thermite was invented in the 1890s by a German chemist and was originally created for welding train rails. However, not long after, during World War I, Germany used bombs containing thermite dropped from airships over London as a weapon. Both Germany and the Allied forces used thermite aerial bombs during World War II, and thermite was also reportedly used to disable captured artillery guns.

Using thermite in military combat is not prohibited under international law, but because it is lethal to humans, its use against civilian targets is banned. However, CNN pointed out that since thermite can burn almost any material, including metals, there is practically no way to stop it when used as a weapon.

The human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated in a 2022 report that incendiary munitions like thermite are "notorious for causing horrific human suffering," and "when used on humans, they cause burns of degrees 4 to 5, as well as damage to muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and even bones." HRW added, "Victims require months of treatment, and even if they survive, they suffer lasting physical and psychological scars."