Fire rained on Russian-held positions in the occupied Kharkiv region when Ukrainian drones dropped thermite incendiary bombs, burning trees and reportedly some Russian military vehicles. Footages of fire-spewing ‘Dragon Drone’ have emerged on various Telegram channels.
A Telegram channel named Khorne Group shared the undated footage of a low-flying drone dropping thermite – A mixture of aluminium powder and iron oxide that burns at a very high temperature. The molten metal can quickly burn trees, fortifications and metals, rendering military vehicles, and armour useless.
The 60th Mechanized Brigade of Ukraine shared drone footage of the thermite bombing and said, “Strike Drones are our wings of vengeance, bringing fire straight from the sky! They become a real threat to the enemy, burning his positions with an accuracy that no other weapon can achieve. When our “Vidar” works – the Russian woman will never sleep.” These weapons are considered one the most dangerous in the world.
Vidar is associated with the god of vengeance in Scandinavian mythology.
The use of incendiary bombs – munitions that are designed to cause fire – has brought focus on their potential use on civilian populations, and establishments apart from the military. In 2023, Russia used thermite bombs over the eastern Ukrainian town of Vuhledar after the defeat in a tank battle. The Russians spew thermite over the border town.
The Russians reportedly used 122mm Grad 9M22S rockets launched from the Soviet-era B-21 multi-rocket launcher system with a thermit warhead.
Several videos have emerged where Russian and Ukrainian troops have used such weapons on the frontline. Thermite, unlike conventional bombs that rely on a blast effect, generated intense heat. It is widely used in welding steel, iron, and railway tracks.
“The widespread use of thermite bombs increases the likelihood of these weapons being deployed in populated areas. The result could be catastrophic, with horrific injuries and loss of life among civilians,” Dr Iain Overton, Executive Director of Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), a British advocacy group, said.
Ignition of thermite is slow and it requires very high temperature to ignite. These temperatures cannot be reached with conventional black powder fuses or nitrocellulose rods. They are often achieved by Magnesium metal strips that are used as fuses.
Use Of Incendiary Bombs In The Past
World War I was witness to incendiary weapons when Germans and the Allied troops used such munitions against their adversary. The American Thermite Hand Grenade Mark I and the French Model 1916 incendiary grenades were weapons used during World War 1.
The Germans developed B1.3E, 1938, incendiary bombs just before World War 2. The Luftwaffe (German Air Force) used it extensively to bomb British cities. The Imperial War Museum said, “During 1940-41, the Luftwaffe caused serious damage by dropping large quantities of incendiary bombs on British towns and cities, either using containers that were carried on bomb racks and released to open at a predetermined point, or from very large containers holding up to 700 bombs that remained on the aircraft.”
A German B1E 1 kg incendiary aircraft bomb
Photo Credit: Image credit: Imperial War Museum © IWM (MUN 3291)
The Allied troops used Napalm – a flammable mixture of gasoline and a gelling agent – for bombings and throwing flames. The US used Napalm to target Japanese cities. Almost 60% of Tokyo was burnt during the Napalm bombings. It has been massively used since its creation in 1942.
During the Vietnam War, the use of Napalm and The Dow Chemical Company which produced it, caught the world’s attention on how dangerous such weapons when unleashed on civilians which caused severe burns.
International Regulations On Use Of Incendiary Weapons
Efforts to address the issue of incendiary weapons started in the 1970s, notably with a growing concern over the use of napalm. In 1972, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution referring to incendiary weapons as ‘a category of arms viewed with horror’.
In 1980, the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects was adopted with the aim to ban or restrict the use of certain types of weapons considered to cause unnecessary or unjustifiable suffering to combatants or to indiscriminately affects civilians.
The Protocol on prohibitions or restrictions on the use of incendiary weapons (Protocol III) aims at protecting civilians and civilian objects from the use of this type of weapons. It prohibits targeting civilians and restricts targeting military objects located within populated areas. The Protocol also prohibits the use of incendiary weapons on forest or other plants unless the vegetation is used to conceal military objects.
