Video: Ukrainian Armed Forces Begin Using So-Called 'Dragon Drones'

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have started using what are referred to as 'Dragon Drones' during combat operations, which deploy a mixture of aluminum powder and iron oxide (thermite), according to CNN.

Ukrainian soldiers have released footage showing the use of these unmanned aerial vehicles. The videos display low-flying drones releasing streams of fire that are essentially molten metal, notes CNN. After the burning particles fall onto a forest, a fire ignites.

The burning temperature of the thermite mixture reaches 2200 degrees Celsius. It can rapidly incinerate not only trees and other vegetation but also nearly everything, including metal. According to Bild, Ukrainian military personnel were considering how to utilize thermite with drones as far back as last year. Ultimately, they concluded that about 500 grams of thermite mixture could be attached to a standard FPV drone.

The drones are nicknamed 'Dragon' because the mixture released from them resembles the flames emanating from a dragon's mouth.