VLADIMIR Putin’s cannon fodder troops have as little as a 20-minute life expectancy on the battlefield, a terrifying report claims.

The Russian tyrant, who admitted Moscow is having “problems” with the Ukraine invasion, is also luring about 1,000 recruits per day to fuel his dwindling war machine.

Last weekend, he also announced he had rejected a Ukrainian plan to scale down strikes on Russia in a bid to move closer to peace.

From the moment they arrive at training grounds in preparation for war, Russian soldiers have 10 days to three weeks left to live, according to a Foreign Policy report, citing military bloggers.

The chilling investigation also found that once troops are deployed into front line combat, they have an average life expectancy of just 20 to 35 minutes.

The harrowing statistic highlights the superiority of drone warfare and Ukraine‘s stern defence.

For every eight Russian front line deaths or serious injuries, Kyiv is reportedly losing just one soldier.

Moscow is now desperate to rejuvenate its shocking battlefield losses as the war drags towards its fifth year.

In late 2025, the Kremlin said they had recruited more than 420,000 new soldiers for year-long military contracts.

But even state media has admitted that sign-up numbers are down about 30 per cent this year.

About 1,000 recruits are being signed into the Russian army per day, with troops undergoing just a few hasty days of training.

Monthly Russian casualties are numbering over 30,000 – with the regime having suffered at least one million since the invasion began in 2022.

Desperate Putin is offering sign-up bonuses of up to £60,000, and £100,000 in debt relief, in order to entice volunteers from inside the country and abroad.

It comes as Ukraine is continuing to decimate Russian oil refineries in an attempt to slow Putin’s bloody invasion and cripple his war machine.

Kyiv destroyed another series of oil depots on Sunday amid a renewed counter- offensive missile onslaught.

Putin admitted after the strikes on Sunday that Russia was experiencing issues in his war.

The despot said: “Yes, we see the problems, we are aware of them and are responding to them, but we will certainly ensure the security of both the country and our citizens, as well as the inviolability of Russia’s borders.

“We will undoubtedly overcome all the challenges facing us today, including terrorist attacks on our territory and infrastructure facilities.”

Some Nato officials have said that Ukraine’s recent waves of attacks – some of which have struck as far as Moscow – are weakening Putin’s grip on power, The Telegraph reported.

Sunday’s Ukrainian blitz hit the Slavyansk-on-Kuban oil refinery, one of the largest in southern Russia.

Veniamin Kondratyev, the governor of the region, said several houses were damaged by falling debris during the “massive” assault.

Kyiv also struck another major refinery in the region of Yaroslavl, just east of Moscow.

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky said: “We continue ⁠our operations that weaken Russia’s ability to wage this war.”

Putin has also warned of a “fateful” time for Russia amid the major setbacks and mounting economic chaos.

He claimed his enemies including the West were seeking to sow political turmoil to oust him.

Putin has also rejected a new Ukrainian plan to scale down the conflict – with the dictator vowing to seize both the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and other territories he calls Novorossiya.

The Russian pariah said he had rejected a proposal from Ukraine to halt deep strikes into each country as a step towards peace.

It may have been brought to him by Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, who he met with for more than two days at his Valdai palace.

Afterwards, Putin said the Ukrainians had proposed limiting the fighting to four regions he is seeking to invade, the Donbas, plus Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

“It is clear why this proposal is being made, because our counter-strikes deep into Ukrainian territory are much stronger, have greater impact and are, frankly, more destructive,” Putin said.

The tyrant said he had no intention of “salvaging the Kyiv regime” and helping the enemy, claiming the proposal would allow Ukraine to better defend their country.

Uncompromisingly, he vowed: “The main task remains the final liberation of Donbas and Novorossiya.”

After spending two nights at the Putin palace, Lukashenko flew immediately to China, where he was ensconced in talks with Xi Jinping early today.

There was weekend speculation that Lukashenko – who met Zelensky representatives in Minsk – carried a message from Kyiv to Putin.

But Lukashenko is also under pressure from Zelensky to stop backing Putin’s war, in particular by allowing his territory for equipment directing Russian drones to attack Ukrainian people.

Zelensky threatened to launch military strikes on Belarus if this relay equipment was not disabled.

Xi today stressed his backing for the the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Belarus.

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