I'm not sure exactly which direction your critique is oriented. The functioning of the Russian milblogger space serves multiple functions, and there are competent ways to learn things from it.

If you're calling the ISW propaganda, shrug.

I think the point stands: if you're interested in the state of the art in drone tech, you're almost certainly paying attention to the Ukrainians and Latvians.

The ISW is so blatantly biased in their coverage they are indeed best though of as an classy looking info-warrior than something like to a neutral observer.

For a long while I only distrusted their political commentary, as it was so obviously shit, at just rolled my eyes when they pretended the Ukrainians didn't send troops on raids toward Belogorod, but otherwise trusted that they at least covered military movements accurately.

Lately I have however seen accusations that they are also uselessly slow at reporting Ukrainian withdrawals, so at this point I wouldn't trust their milblogger coverage to deliver more than selected defeatist posts.

All that said, I think your point that (some of) the state of the art in drone tech is being desperately pushed in Ukraine is a good one. Though I'd add the qualifier that they have very specific concerns and constraints on their drone use (the one-way trips being a prominent one).

> if you're interested in the state of the art in drone tech, you're almost certainly paying attention to the Ukrainians and Latvians

Definitely not to the ISW, though. (Just lmao.)