Russian recruits survive just 20-30 minutes on Ukraine frontlines: CIA chief explains why

Russian soldiers arriving on the front lines in Ukraine live an average of estimated 20 to 30 minutes before being killed or wounded, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said.Speaking at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit on Wednesday, Ratcliffe said US intelligence backed earlier reports about the mounting Russian losses. "Our intelligence is consistent with some of the open-source reporting you may have seen in Ukraine," he said."The average life expectancy of a Russian recruit right now, arriving on the battlefield in Ukraine, is estimated to be between 20 and 30 minutes," he added.Ratcliffe attributed the staggering casualty rate to the rapid evolution of drone warfare. "That's because AI-powered drones have gotten to be such specialized, low-cost killing machines," he said."The takeaway is that the mastery of these emerging technologies is every bit as important as military strength.