A shocking video shows the moment a Ukrainian drone flies above Russian positions and releases a white-hot flame onto the ground below.
The clip, released on Telegram by Ukraine‘s 108th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade, also showed the aftermath of the attack, which left the trees and nearby fields ablaze.
The social media post was titled “Drakaris” – a nod to the dragon attack command from the hit TV series “Game of Thrones”. This footage has since gone viral, being widely reshared across platforms like Telegram and Twitter.
Thermite, a fiery mix of aluminium and iron oxide powder, can reach scorching temperatures when lit up to 3,632F (2,000C) – hot enough to slice through steel.
It’s become a tool for Ukrainian drone operators who drop thermite bombs on damaged or abandoned Russian military vehicles.
If thermite gets inside a tank, it can heat the interior to such extreme temperatures that it can set fuel and ammo alight.
Steel Hornets, a Ukrainian start-up, is behind the creation of various explosive devices tailored for drone deployment, including thermite charges that range from 0.5 to 2.5 kg.
While the “Dragonfire” may not cause significant direct harm unless someone is hit by a piece of the incendiary, it can easily set fire to combustible materials, and as the video shows, it can turn dry vegetation into a sea of flames.
Tree lines along agricultural fields are often selected as defensive positions to provide natural cover in these expansive areas. The secondary fire and smoke that results from the weapon’s use in this manner could then pose a threat to troops.
If they are forced out of their defensive dugouts or trenches, they could be targeted by artillery as they move into the open.
It comes after Russia declared a “federal emergency” last month when Ukraine‘s forces advanced “miles” into the enemy country – launching the biggest foreign attack on sovereign Russian territory since World War II.
In the early hours of August 6, units of the Ukrainian army crossed the border into Russia’s Kursk Oblast in a surprise move.