30th Mechanized Brigade
- New footage shows a Ukrainian "dragon" drone appearing to destroy a Russian tank with "molten thermite."
- The footage was shared on X by Ukraine's defense ministry.
- Military experts have said that such drones are designed to spread terror among Russian troops.
New footage appears to show a Ukrainian "dragon" drone destroying a Russian tank.
Ukraine's defense ministry shared the video on X on Friday, claiming in the caption that the drone fired "molten thermite" at the Russian tank.
Forbes reported that the attack took place near Minkivka, in eastern Ukraine.
Business Insider was unable to independently verify the footage.
Truly unique combat footage: a "dragon" drone spews molten thermite on russian tank and destroys it.📹: 30th Mechanized Brigade pic.twitter.com/gPPQ8mMmXz
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) October 4, 2024
Ukrainian forces seemingly began using thermite drones in September, when multiple videos surfaced online appearing to show drones dispersing the incendiary material, which can melt metal.
Thermite is a mixture of aluminum powder and a metal oxide that, when ignited, can burn at temperatures of around 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
James Patton Rogers, a drone expert and executive director of the Cornell Brooks Tech Policy Institute, previously told Business Insider that thermite had been in military use for as long as aerial warfare has existed.
But using drones to deploy it was "a novel, and fearsome, addition to modern warfare," he said, adding that they could be used to force retreats "through fear and fire."
"The ubiquitous use of drones in the skies above the battlefield are terrifying enough, but those below now have to contend with the quite literal threat of molten metal and fire raining down from above," Patton Rogers said.
Ukraine's defense ministry said on Saturday that its forces had taken out 8,916 Russian tanks since the war began in February 2022.
Mounting equipment losses will further strain Moscow's soaring defense spending, which has led to rampant inflation in Russia.
Russia's central bank raised its key interest rate to 19% in September, citing stubbornly high inflationary pressures.