Ukrainian military uses 'dragon drones' against Russia, Defense Ministry says

Ukrainian soldiers are using so-called  "dragon drones" against Russia, that rain fire down on the battlefield, Ukraine's Defense Ministry confirmed on Sept. 4.

The ministry published new footage resembling a video shared by Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels just a few days prior. The video showed what appeared to be a drone raining down fiery, white-hot metal on unseen soldiers hidden in a tree line.

The Ukrainian military-focused media outlet Defense Express wrote that the drone had been deployed by Ukraine's 108th Territorial Defense Brigade, adding that the video was taken near the village of Ukrainske, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.

The video shared by Ukraine's ministry on Sept. 4 was filmed by the Perun unit of Ukraine's 42nd Mechanized Brigade. The "dragon drone" in the video is operating in the Kharkiv sector, according to the Defense Ministry.

Another video showing the alleged use of such a drone at night was posted by Ukraine's 60th Separate Ingulets Brigade on Sept. 4.

"Strike drones are our wings of revenge, carrying fire straight from the sky. They are becoming a real threat to the enemy, burning their positions with an accuracy that no other weapon can achieve," the military said in a Facebook post.

A number of reports suggests that the drones are equipped with thermite munitions that are dropped on Russian positions.

Thermite weapons disperse thousands of tiny pieces of molten metal burning at temperatures that exceed 2,000 degrees Celsius, which means that it can melt through some armored vehicles.

Ukrainian drones that drop a continuous stream of the molten metal in such a manner appear to be another military innovation.

Russia has deployed similar incendiary weapons, such as the banned white phosphorus bombs, from very early on in the full-scale war.

Thermite and other incendiary weapons can cause devastating injuries.

Human Rights Watch writes that being exposed to such munitions can lead to "extensive and excruciating burns that require painful treatment" that include "respiratory damage from inflamed airways and toxic fumes, infection, extreme dehydration, and organ failure."

Throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine and Russia have heavily invested in drone technology, revolutionizing the way wars are fought.

For outnumbered Ukrainian forces, drones have been one of the key weapons to strike Russian warships, naval bases, oil refineries, and airfields inside occupied territories and deep behind Russia's lines.

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The Kyiv IndependentDaria Svitlyk