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“A small number of cheap, AI-guided attack and interceptor drones … can knock down Shahed systems.” Putin’s Shahed systems are being wiped out by innovative Ukrainian and European drone systems, says former Major General Chip Chapman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“He is wagering the Russian economy in this war, not the army any more.” Putin’s army is “flagging and failing, and getting degraded by the day”, which is consequently dragging down the Russian economy, says the Atlantic Council’s senior fellow, Diane Francis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Why didn’t we do this two or three years ago?” The Kremlin is “rattled” as Europe signs an agreement stating that vessels which change their flag will be deemed flagless and liable to boarding after a Russian oil tanker was found in the Atlantic, says former British Army colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“There is a slight issue that there may be a restricted flow of information to Putin.” As Putin has grown older and “more autocratic”, the intelligence reaching the Russian leader has thinned out, says former Defence Committee clerk and secretary to the UK delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Eliot Wilson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“This is existential.” Putin’s insistence that the Donbas be signed over to Russia in peace negotiations highlights his inability to take the “heavily fortified fortress”, says former British diplomat Cormac Smith. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We’re getting closer to autonomy at the end, so if the Russians try to break the connection between the pilot and the drone, the drone can continue on.” Ukraine is “winning the drone war” as it moves closer to finishing “autonomous drones”, says military historian and professor Phillips O’Brien. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“He’s recognising desperately that he’s not winning on the battlefield.” Putin’s recent attacks on Lviv show his desperation, as his battlefield failures have forced the Russian leader into a “dilemma”, says former US ambassador to Ukraine William B Taylor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia's failures at Kupiansk will have Putin questioning his generals capability as Trump's more aggressive stance on the world stage could threaten the Kremlin regime, says The Times' Michael Binyon on Frontline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“This is bread and butter operations for the US coastguard and the US military forces involved, they can do this in their sleep.” US military forces managed to seize the Russian-flagged oil tanker in a “simple takeover”, says former royal marine James Glancy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It demonstrates that the Russians really are powerless to really do anything about this.” Trump is “finally enforcing sanctions” as he seizes a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic, says Lieutenant General Ben Hodges. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Is anything really unravelling at a speed on the Ukrainian side, with such significance on the Russian side that we’re likely to get to some point where either Ukraine collapses or Russia collapses. The answer to that is no.” Putin’s belief that he is “operating at pace” is far fetched as the small Russian advances fail to make any major breakthroughs, says Major General Chip Chapman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Putin's claims of taking Kupiansk resulted in Russian humiliation as a Ukrainian counter offensive has left one hundred of Kremlin's troops trapped in the centre, says Jimmy Rushton on Frontline. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The Russian people have a high degree of apathy when it comes to Putin.” Putin’s grip on the Russian people is vulnerable to just “snapping” as they wake up to impacts of oil shortages, says former US special envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“One by one we can take you out.” Ukraine is “causing Putin pain” by taking out Russia’s oil infrastructure and strategic bomber fleet, says former Air Vice Marshal Sean Bell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“They’re time limited.” Putin has failed to gain more than 0.9 per cent of Ukrainian territory this year, but has lost 400,000 Russians in the process, says Scott Lucas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.