Heads of the U.S. Intelligence community testified before the House Select Intelligence Committee on threats to national security.
Speaking before the house, the US Defense Department told lawmakers today it estimates between 2,000 and 4,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in Moscow's nearly two-week-old invasion of Ukraine, AFP reported.
When asked how many Russian troops have died to date in the military operation, Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, director of the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency, said, "somewhere between 2 (thousand) and 4,000."
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns told the House panel that he believes Ukraine and the Moscow-driven war is a matter of "deep personal conviction" for Putin, adding that Putin is determined to dominate and control Ukraine and shape its orientation.
"This has been his desire and wish for many years," he said.
The CIA director further said that the reason Russia had gone to war against Ukraine was only because its President believed that Russia faced a favourable landscape for the use of force against the neighbouring nation. He was confident that he had modernized his military and that they were capable of a quick and decisive victory at a minimal cost.
The director added that however, Putin has been proven wrong in every count as it can be witnessed over the last 12 days of conflict.
Russia's military performance has largely been ineffective, even after two weeks they have not been able to encircle the city and take control, said Burns.
"In terms of casualties, the Russian military has faced far and an excess number of casualties than what Putin anticipated. Putin is likely 'angry and frustrated' and has no sustainable political end game," he further said.
