Footage circulating on social media shows Russian soldiers abandoning a dugout after a Ukrainian thermite drone became lodged at the entrance, releasing incendiary material at reduced output rather than fully deploying inside the position.
💥 Russian soldiers escape from thermite ammunition dropped by a drone into their dugout pic.twitter.com/P1p4QG5JrD
— MAKS 26 🇺🇦👀 (@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) June 22, 2026
The video shows the drone lodged at the opening of the dugout as thermite material burns around the entrance. The soldiers appear to exit before the interior is fully engulfed. The footage has not been independently geolocated or verified by SOFX.
SOFX has previously reported on Ukrainian forces deploying thermite-dropping drones in forested areas since September 2024.
The incident points to a tactically significant failure mode in thermite drone employment. The drone appears to have struck outside the entrance, reducing the heat and smoke that entered the position. The munition lodged at the entrance and burned at reduced intensity, giving the occupants a narrow window to evacuate. These assessments have not been independently confirmed.
Thermite is a metal powder compound that burns at temperatures exceeding 3,000°F and cannot be extinguished with water. Ukrainian firm Burning Watermelon produces thermite munitions weighing between 500 grams and 2.5 kilograms at a cost of 20 to 30 euros per unit, a company representative told Business Insider. The company produces 20,000 units per month across facilities in Ukraine.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry confirmed the broader tactic in December 2024, when the 109th Assault Battalion deployed what it described as a “dragon drone” against a Russian hideout.
A “dragon” drone with thermite is burning enemy hideout.
The use of such drones increase the effectiveness of combat operations and reduce risks for personnel.📹: 109th Assault Battalion pic.twitter.com/DMXPb4DsnN
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) December 19, 2024
“The use of such drones increases the effectiveness of combat operations and reduces risks for personnel,” the ministry stated on X.
