Russian troops survive an average 30 minutes on Ukraine’s battlefield: CIA director

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Russian soldiers arriving on Ukraine’s battlefield now survive an average of about 20–30 minutes. Speaking at a defense and innovation summit in Pennsylvania, Ratcliffe linked the stark figure to Ukraine’s use of AI-powered drones, describing them as highly specialized and low-cost “killing machines.” He pointed to intelligence consistent with open reporting, and said US and allied discussions are focused on funding Ukraine’s drone programs and access to underlying AI technologies.