Thread by @Mylovanov

The West has a blind spot and needs to realize Russia's transformation. It's no longer just a nation with unlimited numbers of bodies for cannon fodder; it's now adept with advanced drones, from Shaheds to Lancets, and AI-driven tech for warfare 1/

I hope Zelensky during his visit to the US will be able to explain this to the Washington establishment. The world must see beyond just supporting Ukraine. Russia is honing high tech skills in the Ukraine conflict, outpacing NATO in both human and technological warfare. 2/

If Russia isn't quickly checked, it will grow stronger, gaining an unprecedented bargaining edge over NATO. If Russia's technological development persist, future talks won't just be about Ukraine's borders but about limiting NATO's presence in Eastern Europe. 3/

Russia now mass-produces Lancet attack drones, along with Orlans and Mavics, in gigafactories far from the frontline. Soon, Shaheds will join the lineup. These drones are resistant to electronic suppression. By contrast, Russia successfully surpasses their Western counterparts 4/

At this moment, Russia has no incentive to stop and negotiate. It will continue to produce drones and destroy western equipment in Ukraine, until there is not much left 5/

The issue is not any more about providing Ukraine with a good western weapons in large quantities, but about developing and strengthening Western capabilities in drone, robotic, and AI warfare. NATO is lagging behind and people are not seeing this. 6/

There is an arrogant assumption that Russia will never be a match to NATO so there is nothing to worry about. It is not true as the history has shown time and again. Russia now has the opportunity to innovate, together with China and Iran, and test on the battlefield in Ukraine7/

NATO doesn't exploit this opportunity. Russian is significantly improving its defense industrial base. NATO doesn't. NATO is hoping that its existing military advantage in technology and training will last. But hope is not a strategy. Instead, NATO must innovate and test 8/

NATO should also be serious about constraining the technological development of Russian defense sector. This means sabotaging and bombing factories, enforcing the sanctions, especially on technological goods, in earnest, and disrupting all technological supply chains 9/

But politicians in the West and perhaps some commanders don't appreciate the newly emerging technological capabilities of Russia. This may be a serious if not fatal mistake. The war in Ukraine should be understood in its broader significance and become a priority for NATO 10X