The CIA Revealed How Many Minutes Russian Recruits Survive On The Front Lines In Ukraine

• 16.07.2026, 9:49

The U.S. is shocked by the successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that, due to the Ukrainian military’s use of drones equipped with artificial intelligence, Russian recruits survive on the battlefield for an average of only 20–30 minutes, according to Bloomberg.

“Our intelligence aligns with some reports from open sources that you may have seen regarding Ukraine: it is estimated that the average lifespan of a Russian recruit currently arriving on the battlefield in Ukraine is between 20 and 30 minutes,” Ratcliffe said at a defense and innovation summit in Pennsylvania.

According to him, this is because “AI-powered drones have become such specialized and inexpensive killing machines”.

U.S. officials estimate that Russia is losing about 7,000 soldiers per week. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that more than 80% of Russian targets are being destroyed by drones.

On July 15, Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine currently produces 10 million drones per year, but “that number will reach 20 million.” On the same day, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that Ukraine and the European Union had reached an agreement in the defense-industrial sector—the “Drone Deal.”