What Is Molotov Cocktails Being Used By Ukranians Against Russian Forces?

Molotov cocktails are known to be used by groups or individuals who are short on regular military-issue weapons. In the past it has been used in riots, urban guerrilla warfare, gang wars, and even against invading armies.

Origin of Molotov cocktail

The Molotov cocktail got its name after the non-aggression Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed in 1939 between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union that split Poland into Germany and Soviet territory, while also ceding Finland to the Soviets, who had earlier controlled it under the Russian Empire.

The Soviets air raided the country that year. But Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov assured Russian radio listeners that the bombing missions were actually airborne humanitarian food deliveries for their starving neighbours. In response to the propaganda broadcasts, the Finna called the bombs ‘Molotov bread baskets’. So, when the hand-held bottle firebombs were developed, they called them Molotov cocktails to go along with his ‘food parcels’.

The bottle bombs were mass-produced by the Alko corporation that added tar to the gasoline so that the liquid would stick better, according to a report in Quartz.

The Finns reportedly threw half a million Molotov cocktails. The idea was such a hit that the British home guard collected them to use against potential Nazi invasion, and the Polish army developed a newer version with sulfuric acid, sugar, and potassium chlorate.  However, the actual origins can be traced back to the Irish Republican Army which may have developed and used it by 1922 for their regular operations including ambushes against the police and the military, the report added.