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I think we are now in a situation where the performance of their [Russia's] combat units is degrading and therefore rather than what was the case, which was a constant pressure on Ukrainian positions, it's faltering, it's becoming temporary or intermittent pressure, which the Ukrainians are better able to deal with, because they have started to fix some of the things that were holding them back on their side, and partly that is a factor of improved use of drones. I would say much more of it is about a better integration of drones, infantry, artillery and other tools and so we are seeing a more combined arms approach on the Ukrainian side, which is seeing a reduction in casualties and therefore the recovery of the strength of Ukrainian brigades."

What has changed is that Ukraine has begun to win on the battlefield and at the moment it looks as if this is going to continue, certainly in the short to medium term, and that has got Putin definitely rattled."

The defence industry is waiting to hear what the future shape of the armed forces will look like and where the big bets will be in terms of investment, and that's not just equipment, that's infrastructure and support. Whilst the government has been putting out some smaller contracts, we are talking about something that sets out 10 years worth of spending and we've heard plenty of times from smaller companies who have basically got all of their eggs in the basket of a particular contract or competition who are waiting to hear, and some of them go out of business. The other thing is the political direction, and that is a signal to the public about the urgency of the issue, and to NATO partners and more broadly.