A
Molotov cocktail , also known as a
petrol bomb,
poor man's grenade,
fire bomb (not to be confused with an actual
fire bomb) or just
Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of bottle-based
improvised incendiary weapons. Due to the relative ease of production, they are frequently used by street criminals,
protesters and non-professionally equipped fighters in
riots,
gang warfare, and
urban guerrilla warfare. They are primarily intended to set targets ablaze rather than instantly obliterate them.