Ukraine's army has a new weapon: the so-called "dragon drones". What is known about them? Are there any limitations to their use in war? And how will Russia respond? DV collected the known facts.
Since the beginning of September, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and a number of bloggers have published footage on social networks showing a drone flying over a forest where Russian soldiers are hiding. Fire rains down over the forest. The explanation is related to the chemical effects of the ignition of metals - an active component in the ammunition of the so-called "dragon drones". It is a thermite mixture of aluminum powder and iron oxide. It was apparently triggered by an electrical detonator in the device. The mixture burns at temperatures up to 2200 degrees Celsius and can burn almost any material, even steel.
Accurate and very efficient
After the footage appeared in the media, Kiev confirmed the first operational use of "dragon drones". It was also reported that the weapon can fire at enemy positions with "accuracy that no other weapon can achieve". Even the Russian media acknowledged the seriousness of the threat posed by these new weapons, which doesn't happen often. "The incendiary mixtures literally incinerate the positions, burn the forest plantations, which unmask our servicemen," he told the newspaper "Moscow Komsomolets" retired fighter from the so-called Luhansk People's Republic.
Until now, it is still not clear which Ukrainian units have already used the new weapon - the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense showed footage from the Kharkiv region. Emil Kastehelmi, a military analyst at Finland's Black Bird Group, which analyzes open-source intelligence, said they were able to confirm using geolocation that the weapon was also used in the Zaporozhye and Donetsk sectors of the front. At least one attack by "dragon drones" was also registered in the border region of the Kursk region, where the Ukrainian armed forces have been operating since the beginning of August.
Invention from the time of the First World War
The use of combustible thermite weapons is not new in itself. Already in the First World War, the Germans dropped such bombs on Britain from airships, using the invention of the chemist Hans Goldschmidt. Initially, the patent was developed for peaceful, not military purposes - for welding railway tracks. During World War II, thermite bombs were used by both Nazi Germany and the Allies of the anti-Hitler coalition.
Incendiary weapons are mentioned in the context of many military conflicts. During Russia's war against Ukraine, the use of banned substances, including chemical weapons, has been repeatedly reported. Among other things, the Russian army is accused of using white phosphorus ammunition: during the offensives of Mariupol, Avdeyevka, as well as in Vugledar.
What does international law say about these weapons
Under international law, weapons that use thermite mixtures are not prohibited. However, their use against civilian targets is prohibited due to their terrifying effects on the human organism, explains Marina Miron, a military expert at King's College London: "The problem with using thermite mixtures is that they hit the target indiscriminately. Therefore, although not prohibited per se, the third protocol to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons restricts their use to strictly military purposes, as these munitions can cause severe burns and damage to the respiratory tract."
In these more than two and a half years of Russia's war against Ukraine, there has been much development and innovation, particularly in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle and drone technology. Dmitry Zhluktenko from the charity foundation "Dziga's Paw" provides the Ukrainian army with high-tech equipment and gear, including unmanned aerial vehicles. In front of DV, he is categorical that the Ukrainian army uses "dragon drones" against military targets only.
In his words, it is important to take into account the context - the Russian armed forces have massively entrenched themselves in the Ukrainian forests, which serve as their hideout. The main goal of the Ukrainian troops is to succeed in driving the enemy out of hiding. The human rights organization "Human Rights Watch" published a report on the consequences of using such weapons. It also emphasizes the severe environmental and crop damage caused by this type of weapon, as the thermite mixture burns everything in its path. The UN Office for Disarmament Affairs also states that fires caused by these weapons are "difficult to predict and extinguish".
The Ukrainian volunteer admits that damage is being done to the environment, but according to him, something much more serious is at stake. "I am more concerned about the liberation of Ukraine from the Russian invasion,", says Dmitry Zhluktenko.
How does Russia respond?
Experts do not yet make predictions about the impact of these new drones on the course of the war. According to them, it is unlikely that the "dragon drones" to displace conventional drones or fighters, but can help conserve more valuable munitions. According to Emil Castehelmi, the effect of these weapons is mostly psychological.
Much will also depend on how the Russian army will react. In the first few days, it became clear that the Russians clearly had no ready solutions. But Russia will try to copy this technology, believes the Finnish analyst Kastehelmi. According to some reports, the first Russian analogues are even ready.