پهپادهای اژدهای اوکراین فلز مذابی که در ۴۰۰۰ درجه فارنهایت می سوزد، رها می کند
A series of videos posted on social media, including Telegram by the Ukrainian Defence Ministry on Wednesday, show low-flying drones dropping streams of molten metal onto Russian-held positions within tree lines.
The thermite mixture, consisting of aluminum powder and iron oxide, burns at temperatures up to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,200 degrees Celsius), quickly incinerating trees and vegetation that provide cover for Russian troops, and potentially killing or disabling them, CNN reports .
Creating new battlefield threat
As it falls from the drone, the thermite resembles fire coming from the mouth of a mythical dragon, which inspired the drones’ nickname.
A social media post from Ukraine’s 60th Mechanized Brigade declared that these strike drones are their “wings of vengeance, delivering fire straight from the sky”. The post also noted that the drones pose a significant threat to the enemy, burning their positions with unmatched accuracy.
According to Nicholas Drummond, a defence industry analyst specializing in land warfare and a former British Army officer, the primary impact of Ukraine’s thermite drones is likely psychological rather than physical.
Drummond told CNN that while thermite is highly destructive, using drones to deliver it is an innovative approach, and its effect is expected to be more about creating fear than causing physical damage. He also mentioned that Ukraine has a limited capacity for deploying thermite, making it a niche capability rather than a mainstream weapon.
Originally for welding, now a powerful weapon
Thermite can burn through nearly anything, including metal, making it hard to defend against. Discovered by a German chemist in the 1890s for welding railroad tracks, its military use quickly emerged. During World War I, the Germans dropped it from zeppelins as bombs over Britain, according to McGill University’s history.
Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), a British anti-war advocacy group, reports that Ukraine has previously used thermite dropped from drones to permanently disable Russian tanks. The thermite is dropped directly through the hatches, where its intense heat rapidly ignites and destroys everything inside.
The precision of thermite bombs, combined with the drone’s ability to bypass traditional defenses, makes them a highly effective tool in modern warfare. Thermite is one type of incendiary weapon, along with others like napalm and white phosphorus. The United Nations Office for Disarmament notes that incendiary weapons can cause significant destruction and environmental damage.
However, while thermite is not banned for military use under international law, its application on civilian targets is prohibited due to its severe effects on the human body. Human Rights Watch, in a 2022 report on incendiary weapons like thermite, highlighted their notorious human cost, including causing fourth- or fifth-degree burns.
