RU cannot move fast because opponent UA is provided with weapons and almost realitime intelligence from most powerful countries in the world, RU is fighting this alone vs most powerful countries in the world which is next to impossible for any other country.
It's become a stalemate. Ukraine is unable to vacate Russia from the Donbas. At the same time Russia cannot defeat Ukraine from trying to retake lost territory.
So both continue to bleed but strategically Ukraine is the loser the longer it goes on. Doesn't matter if the west supports Ukraine. The war is de-militarising Ukraine by reducing generations of military age. This will lead to half a century of peace as Ukraine won't in the future have the manpower to trouble Russia. Time is on Russia's side here. This is why Putin isn't agreeing to Trump's attempt at a ceasefire.
Till now, RU is pulling the punches there, obvious from the map in BBC news link related to drones. BBC regularly updated maps earlier, now they are reluctant probably seeing progress of RU.
Then the tide is finally turning in Russia's favour.
One of reason why RU could sustain till this day is their massive use of drones in tune of several hundreds or if not a thousand+ daily, together with glide bombs (FABs are terrifying).
It's an option today that didn't exist before.
Drone power is acknowledged by 'who is the who' of military powers in the world, to say otherwise is purely disigenous, monkeywrenching self decieving attitude.
And I reiterate as in the past that drones are not a game changer. All the fanbois that pushed this line after Azerbaijan/ Armenia saw that war is still fought in the traditional way. With manpower and artillery. Drones don't take territory and hold it. Manpower and artillery does. That is what changes the game Without manpower you have no more fight left
Why is this so hard to understand?
So when BBC says drones are changing warfare it doesn't mean drones are a game changer. It just means war can continue through other means. Nothing more.
The reality is that neither USA nor China presence there is in India's interest. Younus is infamus non-descript stooge considered as USA asset. China's presense means trouble for India, but USA's presense means the region is in perpectual quagmire for decades to come. Either India alone or India with support from USA should control the entire region, otherwise we are in hot water.
Both India & China support the junta. India has been supplying the junta arms because our interests trump the HR rights lot who support the rebels fighting the junta to bring democracy. This is India's way of countering China's influence by offering the junta an alternative.
Doesn't sit well with the rights and values lot in he Democrats which is out of office and irrelevant. But for Trump the prize is to disrupt China's present hold over rare earth's especially heavy rare earths which China mines exclusively in Myanmar because they don't have any in China.
In ten years even the Chinese have acknowledged they will no longer have the same degree of control over rare earths as they hold presently. The world will have diversified rare earths sources by then.
Think of US presence in the region along these lines than over India's support for Russia.
That area is crtical and sensitive for navy due to trade and regional powers present, so every power may want that island.
For what? China still hasn't made any moves there.
It would seem the US interest in Bangladesh is as a potential route to supply the Burmese rebels. US doesn’t need St. Martins for that. They just need Bangla support.
In recent weeks there were reports that USA military visited that region:
In June 2025, there is a planned joint military exercise between the US and Bangladesh called “Exercise Tiger Lightning”.
Talk about USA's interest means USA is already invested in that interest.
This is nothing more than military diplomacy which the US conducts for decades now with numerous countries for the sake of better relations. Nothing more.
There is also Rakhine state and Arakan army, USA's interest in them which is not much talked about:
https://nenews.in/politics/indian-o...t-burmese-rebel-groups-think-otherwise/13602/
Think rare earths here. By offering support to rebel groups they hope to disrupt rare earths mining.
Will it work? US is a newcomer and late to the party
If rare earths bring revenue then everybody along the chain is getting a cut. The Chinese could also be in cahoots with some rebel groups for exactly this purpose.