Ukrainian drones: Revolutionizing warfare with incendiary thermite
Ukrainians tirelessly experiment with using drones for new tasks. The latest uses drones to drop incendiary thermite, which conventional means cannot extinguish. We present the performance of this weapon and the background of its use.
Ukrainians conceptually use FPV drones and larger types like "Baba Yaga" as substitutes for precision weapons that are not available in sufficient quantities, such as anti-tank guided missiles or guided mortar or artillery shells.
The first versions of drones had a range of a few hundred metres, and current units are said to have a range of up to about 10 kilometres. Additionally, with the support of Western countries, Ukrainians are working intensively on using artificial intelligence to ensure autonomous operation in the final phase of flight or are using fibre optic cables instead. Electronic warfare systems cannot jam such drones; the only form of defence remains their kinetic destruction.
Apart from reconnaissance or attacking Russian vehicles or even individual soldiers, drones are also used to destroy Russian defensive positions in forested areas using incendiary weapons. In the video below, you can see a drone raid with thermite on a line of trees where Russians are believed to be hiding. The thermite was likely in a ceramic bucket hanging under the drone with a hole at the bottom.
Thermite as an incendiary weapon — an old but still very effective solution
The Ukrainians used thermite in an attack on Russian fortifications in a line of trees, which is well known in welding and in incendiary weapons commonly used during, among others, World War II. Thermite is a mixture of powdered aluminium and iron oxide (rust) plus, for example, magnesium in the form of an igniter. This is necessary because the ignition of thermite requires about 1,000°C, after which it burns at temperatures of even over 3,000°C.
During a very violent reaction, molten metal is scattered over the surrounding area, and in essence, thermite cannot be extinguished even by cutting off oxygen (it is in the structure of thermite). Such properties allow it to burn through even reinforced concrete fortifications or tank armour if there is enough thermite mixture on a given spot.
Attempts to extinguish thermite with water can prove even more catastrophic because, as a result of very high temperatures, water molecules break down into oxygen and explosive hydrogen. In practice, it is recommended to simply let the thermite burn out.
