Vladimir Putin has lost another colonel, while the youngest known soldier fighting in the war has also been killed and had to be identified through his DNA.
Colonel Ivan Grishin is the latest of Russia ’s top ranking military officials to die during its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
The commander of the 49th anti-aircraft missile brigade died from abdominal wounds from shrapnel.
He was killed in fighting near the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
Aterm Malaschchenkov, an MP from Smolensk, the pro-Putin United Russia political party said: “Sleep well, dear friend, your death will not be in vain.
“The men will continue your work and fulfil all the tasks of the special military operation.
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“I have no words for how hard it is to lose friends. Ivan was a real colonel - in the brigade his name was ‘Dad’.”
A memorial claimed he was an “honest, sympathetic and very strong-willed person. A real colonel and a good family man.”
He is the latest top brass to die among the Kremlin’s forces
The Kremlin has already lost at least eight generals and a further 35 colonels, but true numbers may be higher due to issues around reporting.
Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky was the first high-ranking Russian officer to die.
He was reportedly kill by sniper fire on February 28, only four days into the invasion.
A number of key Russian military commanders have been killed since then.
There have been claims that Ukraine is specifically targeting Russia’s top brass to undermine morale in Putin’s forces.
All of this comes as Roman Akimov, 18, died during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, making him one of Russia’s youngest soldiers to have been killed in fighting.
His body was only identified by his DNA and it took three weeks before his parents were informed of his death.
His parents Evgenia and Ivan were handed his posthumous Order of Courage, awarded on the instructions of Putin.
"The last time we called him was on 15 March,” said his sister Natalia.
“He said he was alive and well. And then we lost contact. Only on 10 April did we learn that Roman had died on 17 March.
“This was confirmed after the DNA was taken.”
His bereft mother posted his picture and a poem saying: "I will never forget you, I swear, I promise.
I had no time to say so many words to you. Forgive me for all the bad things. I wish I could hug you tightly.
“I wish I could say goodbye to you properly, looking into your eyes for the last time. Knowing firmly that you are calm there and heaven keeps you in peace."
