Putin loses top colonel after missile strike ‘on medal ceremony’ kills 19

The missile strike was carried out in occupied Donetsk in Ukraine (Picture: east2west)

Vladimir Putin has suffered a major blow after losing a top colonel following a missile strike during a medal ceremony, according to reports.

The hit which also killed 19 troops and injured another 12 wiped out Colonel Roman Kozhukhov in occupied Donetsk in Ukraine.

Another high ranking officer Colonel Mikhail Gudkov was wounded as was Major Alexander Abilov.

Telegram channel Dosye Shpiona said: ‘The command was conducting a formation in honour of awarding individual servicemen of the brigade who distinguished themselves in combat.

‘The strike was carried out by two HIMARS missiles.’

Over the past five weeks there has been five major strikes on gatherings of Russian troops at medal ceremonies.

There were 24 people killed at Vostochny military range in Donetsk on January 25.

On February 4, 28 servicemen from Russia were killed in a missile strike at the Adriatic restaurant ‘where the Russian military were dining’.

Colonel Mikhail Gudkov was injured during the strike (Picture: KP.ru/e2w)

Russian soldiers were left dead and wounded as a result of the attack (Picture: social media/e2w)

And on February 21, 65 were killed at a training ground in Trudivske, Donetsk.

The next day dozens more died in a missile strike in Kherson.

Ukraine also claimed to have downed two other £40million warplanes, the first one was in Mariupol, and another one near Avdiivka.

Although there has been no official confirmation of this it takes Kyiv’s claimed tally of downed Russian warplanes up to a dozen in two weeks.

Russia has made territorial advances in Avdiivka these last few weeks but Russia is also suffering with a weakening air force and manpower loses.

The news comes after Putin made a direct threat to nuke the west saying they have the weapons ready.

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He said during his State of the Nation address: ‘We remember the fate of those who try to invade our territory and of course their fate will be much more tragic than anything we could face. 

‘They need to understand we too have weapons that can strike targets on their territory.’

Meanwhile Putin’s mouthpiece Dmitry Peskov accused Britain of being ‘directly involved’ in the war in Ukraine.

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