ukrainian army's "flame drone" is deployed on the battlefield? experts: it will not bring much change to the situation
2024-09-07
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the video released by the ukrainian ministry of defense on social media on the 4th attracted attention. the video showed a low-flying drone dropping incendiary materials into the woods in the russian-controlled kharkiv region. it was later confirmed that it was molten metal from thermite.
▲ukrainian drones dropped thermite into the woods in the kharkov region controlled by the russian army
combustion temperature up to 2200℃
expert: it’s more about “creating fear”
it is reported that this mixture of aluminum powder and iron oxide is called thermite, which burns at a temperature of up to 2200 degrees celsius. in this way, ukrainian drones can quickly burn trees and vegetation that provide cover for russian troops, and even directly kill soldiers stationed in the woods, causing them to lose their ability to move.
ukraine's 60th mechanized brigade posted on social media: "attack drones are our wings of revenge, which can deliver firepower directly from the sky!" the post read: "they pose a real threat to the enemy, destroying enemy positions with a precision that cannot be achieved by any other weapon."
however, nicholas drummond, a defense industry analyst who studies land warfare and a former british army officer, believes that creating fear may be the main purpose of ukraine's thermite drones. drummond said: "the use of drones to drop burning thermite has more psychological than physical effects on opponents." he added: "as far as i know, ukraine only has limited thermite capabilities. this is just a niche method, not a new mainstream weapon." but he admitted that thermite will have a terrifying effect on people's psychology.
ukraine has accused the russian army of using incendiary bombs against ukrainian civilian targets when it attacked a village outside kharkiv, ukraine's second largest city, in may 2022. local residents said: "houses, fields, and even the sky were burned." at the same time, ukraine said that the russian army also used incendiary bombs when it attacked the city of bakhmut last year.
the use of these incendiary bombs did not bring russia a quick victory, so drummond believes that ukraine's recent use of this tactic will not bring much change to the situation.
▲screenshot of the video of the ukrainian military drone dropping thermite into the woods from reference news
can burn through almost anything with ease!
ban on "incendiary weapons" used against civilians
thermite can easily burn through almost anything, including metal, so there is almost no protection.
initially, thermite was used to weld rails, but its military potential soon became apparent. during world war i, the german army dropped thermite over britain from zeppelins. in world war ii, both warring nations used thermite in aerial bombs, and also used it to destroy captured artillery pieces—thermite was injected into the breech blocks to melt the guns from the inside.
it has been reported that the power of thermite combined with the capabilities of drones makes thermite a very effective weapon in modern warfare.
the united nations disarmament office's official website shows that incendiary weapons can cause massive casualties and environmental damage. incendiary materials made of thermite are a type of incendiary weapon, and other incendiary weapons include napalm and white phosphorus. "the fire generated or ignited by the incendiary weapon itself is difficult to predict and control. therefore, incendiary weapons are often described as 'area weapons' because their impact range is very wide."
under international law, thermite is not prohibited from being used in military combat, but it is prohibited from being used against civilian targets due to its horrific effects on the human body. it is reported that thermite can cause damage to human muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves, blood vessels and even bones. even if the victim survives, it will be left with physical and psychological trauma.
red star news reporter li jinrui
editor guo zhuang responsible editor wei kongming
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