Armed Forces of Ukraine are constantly improving their drones, which help to "smoke out" occupiers from forests - New York Times
To improve the effectiveness of drones, the Ukrainian military is constantly improving them. "Dragon drones" have become a prime example of such adaptation.
According to Censor.NET, the New York Times reports.
Soldiers are attaching canisters to drones that spew thermite, a molten metal mixture of aluminium and iron oxide that burns at 4400 degrees Fahrenheit (approximately 2400 degrees Celsius). During combustion, a self-sustaining reaction occurs, making it virtually impossible to extinguish, the article says.
Vyacheslav, the commander of the unmanned strike company of the 68th separate hunting brigade "Dovbush's hornets", told the publication that this helps the Ukrainian armed forces "smoke out" Russian soldiers from the forests - the flames burn vegetation that serves as cover, exposing them and their equipment to direct attack. He noted that since his unit arrived in the Pokrovsk area in April, they had managed to kill more than 3,000 Russian soldiers.
"The dragon drones are another revolutionary step in drone warfare that has changed the way warfare is conducted, according to the NYT.
Russian forces were also quick to produce their own dragon drones. Russian telegram channels have posted videos of Russian troops using drones to fire on Ukrainian soldiers.
According to the NYT, "dragon drones" are only a small part of a rapidly growing drone fleet. They are engaged in an urgent arms race to innovate and mass-produce drones that are faster and increasingly lethal.
Both sides are planning to increase the number of drones, and experienced pilots are becoming increasingly valuable and harder to replace.
"Pilots are specialists who are worth their weight in gold, and they need to be protected... Once spotted, the enemy spares no resources to destroy their positions," said Viacheslav.
