In the latest hammer blow to the Kremlin, Russia has lost its 50th colonel in the war in Ukraine, bringing the total dead toll to over 31,000.
Lt Col Vladimir Nigmatullin, a 46-year-old father of three from Yekaterinburg, was slain on May 31, according to new information.
Nigmatullin’s death has been verified by his family, adding to the long list of Russian military officers who have died, with one colonel being assassinated every two days.
It comes after a group of independent journalists stated that Vladimir Putin lost two of his most senior officers in a single day in a catastrophic bridge ambush in eastern Ukraine.
‘Eternal memory, darling, dear, much-loved man, you passed away,’ said Nigmatullin’s sister-in-law Marina Konyukhova.
‘We still cannot believe you are gone. You are a father of three children, and an amazing husband to my sister.
‘I am always proud of you, and I will always be proud. You set an example to the Motherland, so that everyone does like you did.
‘You were ordered with the Order of Bravery, posthumously. You went through a lot of conflict areas.’