Russian recruits in Ukraine survive an average of just 20 to 30 minutes after reaching the front line, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said on Tuesday, attributing the staggering toll to AI-powered drones he described as specialised, low-cost killing machines. Ratcliffe delivered the assessment at a defence and innovation summit in Pennsylvania.
The remarks came as analysts at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies estimated that Russian forces in 2026 are suffering losses at eight times the rate of Ukrainian troops. Since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Russian casualties stand at roughly 1.4 million, compared with about 600,000 for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia struck port facilities in Odesa and Chornomorsk on Thursday, the latest in a wave of 23 strikes on Ukrainian ports in the first half of July. In a separate exchange, Ukraine received 501 sets of remains from Russia while returning 31. Domestically, President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov after six months, and lawmakers approved Sergii Koretskyi as new prime minister.