It's sort of like if a Russian official is caught telling the truth to the public they're afraid they'll burst into flames - or fall out of an open window.

Source: Business Insider

An advisor to Russia's defense ministry was caught on a hot mic revealing that Moscow has used suicide drones made by Iran to attack Ukrainian cities — something the Kremlin has refused to publicly admit.

Ruslan Pukhov, who is also a military expert, recently joined Russian Business Channel (RBC TV) for a television interview. After he is introduced by the presenter, Pukhov can be seen in a clip shared to social media walking on stage and taking a seat.

Pukhov appears unaware that the show is already on the air, and he reveals before the interview gets started that Russia has been using Iranian-made suicide drones, even if the Kremlin isn't acknowledging it.

"Now, I wouldn't want to rock the boat, so let's go easy on the subject of drones," Pukhov could be heard saying to the presenter. "You know the expression, 'we all have an asshole but we don't use the word?' We all know the drones are Iranian, but the government has not admitted to it."

Pukhov's reference is alluding to a children's song about a parent's attempt to curb their daughter's use of profanity.

Probably just a coincidence that 10 Iranians were killed by Ukrainian air strikes this week too, according to the Jerusalem Post:

10 Iranians who were training Russian soldiers were killed in Ukrainian strikes in the Russia-Ukraine war in the past week, a Ukrainian official told KAN news on Friday.

The report comes as American and Ukrainian officials warn that Iranians are training Russians to use Iranian drones in Crimea.

The Ukrainian National Resistance Center claimed on Wednesday that Iranian instructors are overseeing Russian forces launching kamikaze drones from within annexed Ukrainian territory.