Russia has lost its 40th high-ranking officer in the Ukraine war. Lieutenant Colonel Denis Mezhuev was killed in Ukraine on the front line and became Russia's 33rd colonel to lose life in this war.
Mezhuev was the commander of the Sevastopol Red Banner regiment under the 1st guards motor rifle division. The colonel recently moved to Ukraine's east from Kyiv as Russia restructured its invasion plans.
'Denis Mezhuev died in battle. His son can be proud of his dad,' read a post on social media by a junior Russian politician.
Hero of Russia
Poet Andrey Kovalev, who is believed to be pro-Putin, urged the Kremlin to award Lt Col Mezhuev the nation's top honor posthumously.
The poet pointed out that Mezhuev should be awarded the title of Hero of Russia for his brave deeds.
According to Kyiv officials, Russia lost over 33 colonels and seven generals. The rising numbers of Putin's top military officials being killed in the Ukraine war have suggested that Russia's special military plan is completely disrupted.
Russia Faces Massive loses
Kyiv also claimed that nearly 20,000 Russian troops have been killed in Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
A pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Wargozo revealed that Ukrainian marines from the 36th brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces cooperated in an operation 'to evacuate the body of our high-ranking officer from the Illich factory in Mariupol' without naming the general but giving his rank, according to Daily Mail.
The channel informed that when Ukrainian troops surrendered in Mariupol on Wednesday, the marines shared the information about the general's body and participated in the operation to evacuate it. Ukrainian troops acted as guides and showed a safe route.
The 1st Guards Motor Rifle regiment Mezhuev commanded had moved to Ukraine's east from Kyiv. So far, Kremlin has not confirmed his death.
A week back Russia lost the commander of the 59th Tank Guards Tank Regiment Alexander Bespalov in Ukraine. No official details regarding the cause of his death were revealed and his pictures that appeared online have shown a number of medals on him.
Russia's tank regiment has faced massive losses in Ukraine as Kyiv used targeted tanks with drones and anti-tank missiles.
