The Defense Forces of Ukraine are expanding the use of first-person-view drones (FPV) with thermite. The small-sized copters carrying this incendiary mixture have even received the nickname "dragon drones" for the characteristic way they shower the positions occupied by the russian military with fire. Having appeared for the first time just a few days ago, videos showcasing dragon drones in action are growing in numbers, spreading like wildfire on social media.
Moreover, these airborne incendiary weapons were seen in use with multiple brigades holding the Ukrainian front. This is indicative because these brigades are deployed in different places along the line of contact stretching over a thousand of kilometers, meaning the tactic is not tied to a particular area. Here's an example:
Read more: Ukrainian Drone Incinerates russian Troops' Positions in Wooded Area (Video)
The footage above shows the Perun unmanned systems battalion from the 42nd Mechanized Brigade use an FPV drone to light on fire the trenches hidden between the trees of a windbreak near the Staritsa village, northeastern Kharkiv Region. Take note of how the drone explodes after dropping the ignition mixture. The reason remains obscure but it seems to be at least not the only case:
Eastern Ukraine, a Ukrainian drone drops molten thermite on a Russian-held treeline, setting it ablaze. pic.twitter.com/LWKDj3NGpz— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 2, 2024
Above is the work of the No Chance Attack UAV Company of the 108th Territorial Defense Brigade that we analyzed in the previous article on this topic. The video was filmed in the Zaporizhzhia Region, southern Ukraine.
One more video was published by the 60th Mechanized Brigade. The drone operated by the Vidar unit was even equipped with a night vision camera. The location is unknown but the brigade occasionally publishes reports from the Kharkiv or Donetsk regions. Apparently, this time around, the UAV didn't explode while using the thermite charge, nor afterward. Link to the original source of the video.
In summary, there is still too little information to assess the scale of the usage of FPV drones armed with thermite, and what are the prospects of expanding this practice even further. Encampments inside the greenery have long been a serious obstacle for both Ukrainian and russian forces alike in their advancements.
In one of our previous articles, Defense Express highlighted how many resources Ukrainian forces had to apply to seize a single enemy position, which required a full obliteration of any plants covering the trenches from the eye. Sometimes, drones equipped with incendiary grenades were deployed to initiate ignition. Here's an older video from more than a half year ago of how it was done:
The new "dragon drones," however, offer a different (raining fire) approach that Ukrainian forces seemingly find more effective.
Important to note, though, that the technology is not unique in itself, so there's a possibility of russians replicating this tactic for their own FPV drones.
Read more: Ukrainian FPV Drone Takes Down russian Supercam Drone Mid-Air (Video)
