Molotov cocktails

Molotov cocktails are improvised incendiary weapons built around a breakable container and ignition source, used at very short range against personnel, vehicles, and structures. In the Battle of Marawi, Reuters reporting identified them among the close-range threats faced by Philippine government troops fighting IS-aligned militants in dense urban terrain.

Battle of MarawiIS-aligned militants

Conflict side: IS-aligned militants
Built by: Improvisedlocally fabricated
Built in: Varies by user

Molotov cocktails, Hand-thrown improvised incendiary weapon, Munitions

Image source: Molotov cocktail.png

Profile

Type: Hand-thrown improvised incendiary weapon
Conflict side: IS-aligned militants
Origin: Improvised weapon with no single national origin
Service note: Modern improvised and irregular warfare use

incendiaryimprovised portable strike

Service History

In service: Ad hoc use by irregular forces, soldiers, and civilians where available incendiary weapons are improvised
Used by: IS-aligned militants
Wars: Battle of Marawi

Production History

Designer: Not standardized
Designed: Improvised incendiary bottle weapons predate the modern name; the Molotov cocktail name dates to the 1939-1940 Winter War
Built by: Improvisedlocally fabricated
Built in: Varies by user
Unit cost: Not standardized
Produced: Improvised as needed; no standardized production run
Number built: Unknown
Variants: Bottle bomb, Burn bottle, Fire bottle, Petrol bomb

Specifications

Weapon class: Hand-thrown improvised incendiary munition
Container: Usually a breakable bottle or similar frangible vessel
Effects: Ignites and spreads burning liquid on impact against a hard surface
Employment: Very short-range throwing distance from exposed or covered positions
Standardization: No fixed military standard; composition, size, and ignition method vary by maker

Conflict Usage

Battle of Marawi: Side: IS-aligned militantsRole: Close-range incendiary attacks against assaulting troopsstrike
Reuters reporting from Marawi described Philippine soldiers being hit by Molotov cocktails during the June 2017 urban fighting, alongside sniper fire, RPGs, and improvised defenses used by IS-aligned militants.

Molotov cocktails Images

Molotov cocktails, Hand-thrown improvised incendiary weapon, Munitions - view 1 — Source: Molotov cocktail.png

Molotov cocktails, Hand-thrown improvised incendiary weapon, Munitions - view 2 — Source: Molotov cocktail.png

Molotov cocktails, Hand-thrown improvised incendiary weapon, Munitions - view 3 — Source: Molotov cocktail.png

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Sources

Snipers, RPGs, Molotov cocktails: Soldier recalls Marawi battle that cost 13 Marine livesPublisher: Interaksyon / Reuters | Note: Supports Battle of Marawi direct conflict-use context: Molotov cocktails were used by IS-aligned militants against Philippine government troops during the June 2017 Marawi urban fighting. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Molotov cocktailPublisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica | Note: Supports background on the Molotov cocktail as a crude bottle incendiary weapon, its common names, and the origin of the modern term. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 'Molotov Cocktail' incendiary grenadePublisher: Imperial War Museums | Note: Supports background and non-instructional physical characteristics for a preserved Finnish Molotov cocktail incendiary grenade. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Molotov cocktail.pngPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a U.S. Federal Government public-domain illustration of a Molotov cocktail from FM 23-3. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Talvisota Molotov Cocktail.PNGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain Finnish Winter War photograph showing a soldier with a Molotov cocktail. | Accessed: 2026-06-21 Molotov cocktail - Kostroma guardhouse.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a CC0 museum display photograph of Molotov cocktails at the Kostroma museum-reserve guardhouse. | Accessed: 2026-06-21