Vladimir Putin has suffered another loss to his top brass as a colonel was killed in combat in Ukraine, it was revealed today.
Colonel Mikhail Nagamov, 41, was from the sixth engineer-sapper regiment from the Yaroslavl region and died in Ukraine on April 13.
It was said the colonel died “while performing a combat mission in Ukraine ” and was reported by his local village of Suslonger in the Russian Republic of Mari El.
The commander is now among at least eight generals and 35 colonels who have been killed during Putin's war.
Putin's forces continue to suffer heavy losses to their high-ranking officials amid the Kremlin's claim the “special military operation” is going according to plan.
The overall Russian losses since the war began on 24 February are believed to be 20,000-plus but Moscow has failed to give accurate figures.
Col. Nagamov will be buried tomorrow at the federal military memorial cemetery in Mytishchi, Moscow region.
Four days ago it was revealed that Major General Vladimir Frolov, deputy commander of Russia's 8th Combined Arms Army, was killed in Ukraine and buried in St Petersburg.
He was the eighth general known to have died in Putin’s campaign in Ukraine.
It comes after other deaths of top Russian colonels have reportedly already happened.
Six days ago the Mirror wrote that Russia has reportedly lost its 40th high-ranking officer.
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.
Another high ranking Russian military officer, Colonel Alexander Bespalov's, was reportedly killed and his body taken back to his home, according to news released on April 9.
The tank commander is believed to be the ninth colonel to die in the invasion and led the 59th Tank Guards Regiment as reported by 74.RU.
His death comes after Ukraine said it had killed Colonel Denis Kurilo, who was commander of the 200th motorised rifle brigade, in fighting near Kharkiv.
Earlier this week it was reported Colonel Ivan Grishin was killed amid intense fighting.
The commander of the 49th anti-aircraft missile brigade died from abdominal wounds from shrapnel.
He was killed in fighting near the northeastern 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.
“I have no words for how hard it is to lose friends. Ivan was a real colonel - in the brigade his name was ‘Dad’."
