Russia - threadbanned users in OP

In case you didn't pick it up there there was a mix of sarcasm and actual probability there as some of the drone footage I have seen looks to be from commercially available kit.

I know some of the controller boards and other standard circuitry are Chinese as they are supplied by the million for all types of non military kit (or at least they were when I knew engineers involved in rocketry). Machined parts tend to have assembly marks only for non commercial applications.

P.S it's surprising how many specialist circuits you used to come across with made in ireland stamped on them long after most circuit board manufacture supposedly left ireland

Yes, that was my point.

If the Russian manufacturer cannot produce more tanks to give to Russia,then it's less tanks the Ukrainians can reclaim.

Then again, the farmers in Ukraine are getting busy now with sowing crops rather than harvesting tanks!

I wonder if that host will be replaced for not toeing the party/propaganda line.

I will say it's interesting that the ship was hit, very soon after the US said they would be upping the Intel/more real time intel they give Ukraine.

I wonder if they gave them the current coordinates of the ship or literally gave them access to the satellite feed etc...

One things for sure, the US have made a new and powerful ally with Ukraine.

Can‘t blame them. Looks like a bumper year for BMP-2s…

It's very easy to focus on just the war, but seems Ukraine and the likes of the farmers are planning for their future.

Amazing country and an amazing people for the strength and courage they have shown.

Russia are on the precipitous of becoming the likes of North Korea. Even if they pull back, sanctions and loss of western capital will continue. It would take a seismic shift within politically for that to change. Soon after the war started, you could hear and see about protests in Moscow against it, there seems to be none now.

Whilst there may be many brave souls who still think about protesting it's a hard stance to take when those passing judgement consider your family and friends fair game for repercussions

It's a valid point and I feel for the genuine Russian people fully educated that this is an unjust war waged by their country.

However, Ukraine and the rest of the world did not elect Putin to power and did so again and again.

It's akin to Germans after the war saying they didn't know the concentration camps existed etc...

Is the Russian tv commentator actually carefully following the party line ?

So starting to sow the reasons for difficulties in the " special operation" , Russia is running short of trained troops- they may need to do a general mobilization - why would you need to do that in a small scale "special operation"

Quite recently i saw something that suggested he was threatening to flood Europe with refugees, which could be due to nuclear terrorism but might be something else.

I would agree that Putin is far more reviled than North Korea which people internationally generally are almost quite indifferent towards. They understand it's a totalitarian dictatorship but there's so little known about the country in general people just don't think about it.

However the only reason North Korea hasn't invaded anyone is because the country is a third-world nightmare society devoid of even basic infrastructure and their army is about 6 decades out of date and falling apart.

The only people they could invade would be China or South Korea. Either would annihilate them in about 24 hours. Imagine the Gulf War again, but the Iraqi army had even worse equipment, logistics and leadership.

It's hard to see where North Korea will end up. China are content enough to leave them there as are, and in terms of reunification in principle, South Korea don't want to touch that with a barge-pole.