A Putin ally has revealed footage of the carnage his forces wreaked in Ukraine destroying soldiers "on the spot."
Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov shared the footage on Sunday which shows heavily damaged buildings and the dead bodies of Ukrainian troops.
Metiolkine village was destroyed in the fighting and is now under the control of the pro-Russian Lugansk People's Republic (LPR).
Head of the Chechen Republic Kadyrov told how the LPR and Akhmat special forces cleared the village "from the enemy."
He wrote: "Most of the Ukrainian military voluntarily laid down their arms, and those who try to resist are destroyed on the spot.
"This settlement was of great strategic importance for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, since from here the Ukrainian Nazis had the opportunity to break into Severodonetsk and divert the forces of Russian troops from the Azot plant.
"But no such luck. The village was cleared of nationalists, mines and 'secrets'."
He added: "I express my sincere gratitude to my dear brother, assistant to the Head of the Chechen Republic for the Apta Alaudinov security unit, to all the personnel of the Chechen special forces and the second corps of the LPR People's Militia for high-quality and productive work.
"Very little time will pass and the whole Donbass will praise your names for ridding the country of nationalist scum."
The fall of Metiolkine village was also confirmed by Ukrainian politician Serhiy Haidai on Monday.
It comes amid Russia's efforts to tighten the noose around thousands of Ukrainian troops near two strategically important cities in the east.
Mr Haidai, governor of Luhansk Oblast, told how "Russian fascists" cranked up artillery and air fire in the area in a bid to secure Sievierodonetsk.
"The Russians are working hard on the Sievierodonetsk industrial zone and the outskirts of the city," he said.
"The same is true in the Toshkivka and Ustynivka districts, because the orcs want to make a breakthrough there, and for this purpose they have gathered a large amount of equipment there.
"Battles are taking place in many villages around Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk. Unfortunately, we do not currently control Metiolkine near the centre of the oblast."
Mr Haidai described 'creeping' tactics used by 'the orcs' and said that Luhansk Oblast "is destroyed with all possible weapons."
He continued: "'Silent' evacuation continues from Lysychansk by military administration staff, police, rescuers and volunteers.
"From settlements where active hostilities proceed, people are taken out by the military on armoured vehicles."
He later told of "lots more shelling" from artillery and the air with the "entire perimeter of the city" being targeted.
" Russia poured in a huge amount of equipment, dozens of tanks, and heavy artillery," he said.
"But the loss of one settlement is not yet a lost war. You must believe in the Ukrainian Armed Forces."
As fighting continues in the east, Vladimir Putin lost his 55th colonel who crashed in his helicopter after being hit with a Ukrainian missile.
Dramatic footage reportedly shows the moment Lieutenant-Colonel Sergey Gundorov, 51, was struck near Volnovakha in the Donbas.
The military helicopter flew on after being hit with a portable surface-to-air missile.
His stricken Mi-35 touched the ground before cartwheeling over a narrow strip of woodland and crashing in a fireball in a field.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 in what the Kremlin is calling a "special military operation" to "liberate the Donbass".
Today marks the 117th day of the invasion.
