PREVIEW

New video footage shows the remarkable “fire” breathing new ‘dragon drones’ Ukrainian forces are reported to be using in their fight against invading Russian forces.

Ukrainian soldiers are deploying the "dragon drones" on the battlefield, Ukraine’s Defence Ministry confirmed in a post on 4 September 2024.

The ministry shared footage of a drone releasing fiery, white-hot metal over soldiers concealed in a tree line.

The video shared by Ukraine’s Defence Ministry on 4 September was filmed by the Perun unit of Ukraine’s 42nd Mechanised Brigade, reportedly operating in the Kharkiv sector.

Another video showing a similar drone at night, was shared by Ukraine’s 60th Separate Ingulets Brigade on the same day.

“Strike drones are our wings of vengeance that carry fire straight from the sky! They become a real threat to the enemy by burning their positions with a precision that no other weapon can achieve,” members of the brigade wrote.
Reports have claimed these mysterious ‘dragon drones’ are armed with thermite munitions.

Thermite burns at temperatures exceeding 2,000 degrees Celsius, dispersing molten metal capable of melting through some armoured vehicles.
Ukraine’s innovative use of drones to drop streams of molten metal marks another development in military tactics. Russia has also used incendiary weapons, including banned white phosphorus bombs, from the early stages of its full-scale 2022 invasion.

Thermite and other incendiary devices can cause severe injuries, including extensive painful burns as well as "respiratory damage, infection, dehydration, and organ failure.

Both Ukraine and Russia have invested heavily in drone technology throughout the war, revolutionising modern warfare.

For Ukraine in particular novel drone warfare tactics have been used to strike Russian warships, naval bases, oil refineries, and airfields deep beyond Russian lines.