Active Conflicts & News Megathread August 22, 2025

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[u/johnbrooder3006]

A major disadvantage Ukraine has faced since 2022 is trying to restore/maintain military hardware production under constant threats of Russian aerial attacks. Expectedly they’ve relied on western exports which arrive out of the box and ready to use from NATO protected countries. They also domestically produce FPV’s in pop up workshops across the country, fortunately these are relatively mobile and can be shifted quickly. However anything larger than that becomes an enormous liability, and it got me thinking since the announcement of their Flamingo missile. Several accurate strikes on the manufacturing plant could be absolutely catastrophic (I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what they were looking for in western Ukraine two nights ago). My question is, can Ukraine lease warehouses in adjacent NATO countries to rebuild their own heavy weapon systems? Sure there’s logistical issues but the benefits would definitely outweigh the cost. No doubt Russia could say escalation but how’s it different to a storm shadow being manufactured on NATO soil then sent across the border ready to fire?

[u/Moifaso → u/johnbrooder3006]

That Ukraine and one of the western partners still haven't figured out a way to set up proper factories of cheap Ukrainian-designed drones outside Ukrainian territory just baffles me. A few real factories are always going to be much more efficient than the hundreds of small workshops and decentralized production Ukraine relies on.

[u/roionsteroids → u/Moifaso]

10000 drones spelling the location of proper factories in the air

When it comes to the super cheap lowest end of drones though (like a $200 FPV one) - even 10 million of these are a rather small expense in the grand scheme of things. Rapid design changes and near real time constant improvements make it difficult to settle on one design for mass production. The modularity (plethora of different batteries, cameras, antennae, rotors and what not suppliers) is a feature rather than a bug.

It's the same for Russia, they haven't really standardized one lowest low end drone design for mass production and throw some money at these workshops instead. Some of the bigger ones may receive a "branded product" name like VT-40, but they're probably iterating as much as everyone else too.