Ukraine’s “Fire Dragons” are armed with thermite, a mixture of metal powder (usually aluminum) and iron oxide. Thermite does not explode, but it does generate extremely high temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees Celsius (5,400 degrees Fahrenheit). It can burn and destroy almost any material – clothing, trees, leaves, steel, even military vehicles. Thermite can also burn underwater.

Because it can melt metal, it is extremely effective against bunkers, trenches, and even main battle tanks.

Although named after a mythical dragon, these drones are essentially airborne flamethrowers. They have been widely used to burn trees, vegetation, and forward positions.

The US military also has drones carrying thermite, according to the Kyiv Post, and warned that troops on the ground have only seconds to escape such an attack.

"The 'Fire Dragon' drones primarily targeted bunkers, trenches and the soldiers there. The operators apparently calculated that structures and soldiers would be most vulnerable to incendiary agents," David Axe told Forbes.com.

In early October, the Kyiv Post reported that the Drone Battalion of the Evil Peregrines brigade deployed the Fire Dragon drone in an attack on Russian tanks in Bakhmut.

The video released by the Kyiv Post shows the Russian tank initially hitting what appears to be a mine. The “Fire Dragon” then moves closer to the tank to spread fire, and the final image shows the Russian military vehicle on fire.

In early September, the Ukrainian military introduced the “Fire Dragon” drone, designed to fly low and slow over enemy positions, then drop a thermal mixture that can burn at temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees Celsius.

As previously reported by the Kyiv Post, the “Fire Dragon” drone may not cause direct injury unless someone is hit by burning debris, but it is extremely effective at igniting dry fields, trees, and other flammable objects.

Tree lines, often used as defensive positions, became vulnerable to secondary fires and smoke, forcing enemy soldiers out of cover, thereby exposing them to artillery attacks.

Anh Tuan (According to Nationalinteres, Kyiv Post)