Well, most of it is theater. For the particular aspect you noted - both Russia and Ukraine's "allies" in the EU and NATO are dumping their obsolete equipment in the country - the latest example being a 40+ year old missile cruiser in an age when submarines can do the same job, but safer and more covertly.
Basically, it works like this: The Russians line up a column of Z-marked tanks (the Z basically stands for "scrapped"), the crews get out when the cameras aren't running, a bunch of man-portable missiles are fired at the machines and an artillery or airstrike blasts them to pieces, finishing the job. Meanwhile, the "slava Ukraini" idiots cheer on social media looking at the footage... and both sides are spared the expense of storing or recycling this type of volatile and still dangerous equipment, and are now free to procure next-gen gear from the manufacturers.
Overall, it's not a bad way for countries to refresh their arsenals, and it sure beats using an actual war to do it.
Well, most of it is theater. For the particular aspect you noted - both Russia and Ukraine's "allies" in the EU and NATO are dumping their obsolete equipment in the country - the latest example being a 40+ year old missile cruiser in an age when submarines can do the same job, but safer and more covertly.
Basically, it works like this: The Russians line up a column of Z-marked tanks (the Z basically stands for "scrapped"), the crews get out when the cameras aren't running, a bunch of man-portable missiles are fired at the machines and an artillery or airstrike blasts them to pieces, finishing the job. Meanwhile, the "slava Ukraini" idiots cheer on social media looking at the footage... and both sides are spared the expense of storing or recycling this type of volatile and still dangerous equipment, and are now free to procure next-gen gear from the manufacturers.
Overall, it's not a bad way for countries to refresh their arsenals, and it sure beats using an actual war to do it.