Un has gotten some technical support from Putin and some other quid pro quo but my point on training the Norks stands. The Ukrainians are doing something we have not done in decades, fighting a high-intensity war against a major power. If we ever end up needing to do it, we will be coming to them for help and we already are learning from them. The important fighting in a major war like this is going to be done by regular troops and not special forces. On the integration piece, there have been issues due to language mostly, and the Russians do not have free rein to use them as desired. There are some firm left and right limits established on what (and where) they are available for.
The current time you have on the battlefield before a drone finds you is now measured in single minutes in most cases. This is a real limiting factor in putting significant mass together and launching any sort of maneuver. The widespread adoption of non-jamming fiber optic drones has had dramatic impacts and is one more trend that is creating the current stalemate.
The message Russia is sending with drone attacks is that it can sustain their attacks for longer than Ukraine can replenish air defenses. Russia does not “value” its soldiers but they are more than capable of understanding that they have manpower issues and have adapted. You cannot take and hold territory with a Shahed, and they really have limited deterrent value. There’s far less reason to conserve them than Russian troops. They are of little value if they aren’t being used.