Russia has reportedly lost its 40th high-ranking officer amidst its ongoing bloody invasion of Ukraine.
Across the invasion, Russia has suffered heavy casualties with over 12,000 troops dead and at least five top generals also believed to have been killed.
But now, as the war reaches its 50th day, Vladimir Putin ’s forces have repeatedly lost its 40th high-ranking officer.
This comes as a Russian Black Sea flagship has been sunk after being struck in a missile attack, according to a Ukrainian official.
Unconfirmed reports say 300 Russian sailors who were aboard have died.
Lieutenant Colonel Denis Mezhuev, commander of the 1st Guards Motor Rifle Sevastopol Red Banner regiment, died in battle according to reports in both Russia and Ukraine.
Details about his death were not given and it becomes the latest in a long line to not be confirmed by the Russian government.
Want all the latest news and analysis from Ukraine? Sign up to our World News Bulletin here
Patriotic Russian poet Andrey Kovalev called for Mezhuev to be awarded Russia’s top honour posthumously.
He posted: "For his deed he is worthy of the title of Hero of Russia.”
Another account of his death on VK social media, a Russian social media site, said: “His son can be proud of his dad.”
Ukraine now claims that Russia has lost a total of seven generals and 33 colonels so far in this war.
The huge scale of the deaths suffered by Russia continues to defy Kremlin claims that their “special military operation” is going to plan.
Since the war began on February 24, the total number of Russian deaths are believed to be in the region of 20,000 but Moscow stopped releasing the official death count early on.
Mezhuev is the latest in a line of high-ranking officials to die.
The first was Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky who died only four days into the invasion, on February 28.
He was only four positions below the head of the entire armed forces and was reportedly killed by a sniper.
"It is with great pain that we have received the tragic news about the death of our friend Major General Andrei Sukhovitsky during a special operation in Ukraine," a statement from a Kremlin insider said.
"We send our hearts out to his family. My deepest condolences."
Since his death, a number of other top ranking generals have died.
One of the most recent high-ranking deaths was Lieutenant General Andrey Mordvichev, one of Putin's most trusted leaders.
Some of the dead Russian commanders were said to have come to the frontline, something they would normally do if there were issues over decision-making, or their seniority was needed to push their troops forward.
Mordvichev was one of Putin’s most senior commanders and his death marked the fifth Moscow general reportedly killed so far.
“As a result of fire on the enemy by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the commander of the 8th All-Military Army of the Southern Military District of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Lieutenant General Andrey Mordvishev was killed,” said a statement from the army general staff in Kyiv
