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The Ukrainian military is making more and more changes to drones to improve their effectiveness, and the "dragon drones" have become another vivid example of such improvisation and adaptation.
Soldiers attach canisters to drones that spew thermite, a molten metal mixture of aluminum and iron oxide that burns at 4400 degrees Fahrenheit (about 2400 degrees Celsius). When it catches fire, it creates a self-sustaining reaction that makes it almost impossible to put out, informs UAINFO.org with reference to the New York Times.
As Vyacheslav, the commander of the shock unmanned company of the 68th separate hunting brigade "Shershni Dovbush", told the publication, this helps the Armed Forces of Ukraine to "smoke out" Russian soldiers from forest areas - the flame ignites the vegetation that Russian troops use as shelter and burns it , exposing them and their equipment to direct attack.
Vyacheslav says that since his unit arrived in the Pokrovsk region in April, it has already killed more than 3000 Russian soldiers.
“Drone drones are another revolutionary step in the drone war that has changed the battlefield,” the NYT writes.
For their part, it didn't take long for the Russians to start producing their own "dragon drones." Russian tg channels published a video in which Russian troops use drones to spray Ukrainian soldiers with fire.
According to the NYT, "dragon drones" represent only a small part of the rapidly growing fleet of drones. They are engaged in an urgent arms race to innovate and mass-produce drones that fly faster and farther while becoming increasingly deadly.
While both sides plan to field more and more drones, experienced pilots are becoming even more valuable and much harder to replace.
"Pilots are experts, they are worth their weight in gold, and it is extremely important to protect them," says Vyacheslav. "Once detected, the enemy spares no resources to destroy the position."
