BLOODY CARNAGE
Raging Putin sees an EIGHTH colonel killed and ‘loses 17,000 troops’ as he frantically withdraws from Kyiv
RUSSIA has reportedly lost an eighth colonel since the start of fighting in another major blow to Putin's army.
Ukraine announced it had "eliminated" Colonel Denis Kurilo, commander of the 200th motorised rifle brigade, in fierce fighting outside the country's second city Kharkiv.
9
9
9
The Ukrainian news agency shared a picture of the commander with a red cross through it, to indicate his death.
He is the latest in a growing list of Russian top brass killed in the Ukrainian conflict since the beginning of the invasion on February 24.
The Ukrainian army's press office claimed the 200th brigade had suffered massive losses during a so-called "special military operation" in the east of Ukraine.
According to reports, two battalion tactical groups of the 200th were destroyed, with a total loss of more than 1,500 servicemen.
READ MORE ON UKRAINE
Kurilo's reported death, on day 34 of the war, comes after at least seven of Putin's generals were wiped out in the country.
In comparison, the Soviet Union lost just five generals during ten years of brutal fighting in Afghanistan in the 1980s.
Today, Ukraine estimated total Russian losses at 17,300 troops, with tens of thousands injured.
It comes after it was claimed a colonel was mown down and killed with a tank by his own men after leading them to huge losses on the battlefield.
Most read in News
Western officials say mutinying troops deliberately crushed their commander Yuri Medvedev of the 37th Motor Rifle Brigade.
Russia now says it is to "drastically reduce" forces near the Ukrainian capital Kyiv as its invasion continues to falter.
The announcement was made by Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Fomin and comes as a fresh round of peace negotiations get underway.
Fomin said Russian forces will also be reduced in the Chernihiv region.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been involved in peace talks since the start, according to reports.
The sanctioned Russian Oligarch was reportedly poisoned during the talks after the quoted a source claiming he had suffered temporary blindness and peeling skin while in Kyiv.
But despite a spokesman for Abramovich confirming the story, Ukraine denied any such poisoning had taken place after two of the Ukrainian delegation were also reported to have suffered symptoms consistent with poisoning.
The billionaire was seen bleary-eyed in Istanbul ahead of the next round of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.
Both countries are holding talks, which are being hosted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The 55-year-old has been trying to broker a deal to end the war since leaving the UK earlier this month.
It comes as...
- Vladimir Putin and his inner circle are reportedly living in top-secret nuclear bunkers as the bloody war unfolds in Ukraine.
- Roman Abramovich has been pictured for the first time since claims he was poisoned during Ukraine war peace talks.
- A Russian commander has reportedly killed himself after finding out that 90 per cent of his unit's infamous Z tanks are useless.
- Russia has “significantly increased” its military presence in the Arctic Circle since Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine.
- Putin is a threat to everybody but he is losing the war badly and is humiliated – a swift peace deal is in his interests
- A female Russian sniper with 40 kills to her name was captured after being abandoned on the battlefield.
- A kickboxing world champion has been killed while fighting in the besieged city of Mariupol.
Alexander Fomin said Moscow had decided to fund "cut back military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv to increase mutual trust and create conditions for further negotiations".
The announcement came as the Ukrainian military leadership had said it had begun to notice Russian troop withdrawals from Kyiv and Chernihiv.
Previous announcements of Russian troop withdrawals have been greeted with scepticism.
But the Ukrainian re-taking of the town of Irpin near Kyiv shows Russian forces are on the back foot.
The Russian announcement was nonetheless greeted with scepticism by some in the Ukrainian leadership.
"These statements are absolute lies intended to win time for strengthening Russian positions," tweeted government adviser Anton Gerashchenko.
And Britain’s Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said of the Russians: "They must think that we were born yesterday."
Despite Western scepticism, footage geolocated to the north of Kyiv showed Russia's infamous "Z" tanks trundling away from the city back towards Belarus.
RUSSIA'S SLAIN COMMANDERS
Putin's top brass killed since the invasion of Ukraine:
- Major Dmitry Toptun
- Major Alexey Osokin
- Lieutenant General Andrei Mordvichev
- Major General Vitaly Gerasimov
- Major General Andrei Kolesnikov
- Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky
- Colonel Nikolay Ovcharenko
- Colonel Sergei Porokhyna
- Colonel Sergei Sukharev
- Colonel Andrei Zakharov
- Colonel Konstantin Zizevsky
- Lieutenant Colonel Yuri Agarkov
- Lieutenant Colonel Denis Glebov
- Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Safronov
- Major Viktor Maksimchuk
- General Magomed Tushaev
- Colonel Alexei Sharov
- Colonel Yuri Medvedev
- Colonel Denis Kurilo
Vladimir Putin expected a quick victory when he ordered the invasion of Ukraine but his forces have met stiff resistance in the war.
The Russian death toll has reached as high as 17,000 with several generals and other top commanders among those killed.
In recent days Ukraine said its troops had pushed Russian forces back from Irpin, near Kyiv.
The Ukrainians managed to reoccupy towns and defensive positions up to 21 miles east of the capital.
Despite the victories, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky warned there would still be hard fighting to come.
"We still have to fight, we have to endure," he said.
"This is a ruthless war against our nation, against our people, against our children."
9
9
9
9
9
9
Fighting is also raging in Kherson as Ukrainian forces try to retake the first major city to fall into Russian hands.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier opened peace talks in Istanbul recognising "legitimate concerns" on both sides but urging them to "put an end to this tragedy".
The first day of the war saw Russian helicopters swarm toward Kyiv in a bid to knock out the government and replace President Volodymyr Zelensky with a pro-Moscow puppet.
But the Ukrainians beat back the assault and then inflicted devastating losses on a Russian armoured column heading to the capital, near the town of Bucha.
As Putin's invasion falters, Ukraine's military intelligence said he wants to split Ukraine in half like North and South Korea.
It comes after the Kremlin declared that the first stage of its campaign to "denazify and demilitarise" Ukraine was a success - and it'll now focus its efforts on breakaway province Donetsk.
That announcement was widely seen as an acknowledgement Putin had failed in his goal to topple the government in Kyiv.
Ukraine is now littered with the burnt-out wrecks of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles, charred remains of downed aircraft, and the dead bodies of soldiers - many of whom were teenage conscripts.
As the fighting takes its toll on Russian troops, stories are beginning to emerge of anger and plummeting morale.
One soldier allegedly killed his commanding officer as he protested horrific losses among his comrades.
Russia accidentally revealed it has lost 10,000 troops when the figure was disclosed by a pro-Kremlin newspaper.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
But Nato has said that figure could be as high as 15,000 with the total losses including wounded, captured or missing up to 40,000.
If the estimate is correct, then Russian losses in just under a month in Ukraine are now the same as they suffered during their 10-year war in Afghanistan, which ended in 1989.
Help those fleeing conflict with The Sun’s Ukraine Fund
PICTURES of women and children fleeing the horror of Ukraine’s devastated towns and cities have moved Sun readers to tears.
Many of you want to help the five million caught in the chaos — and now you can, by donating to The Sun's Ukraine Fund.
Give as little as £3 or as much as you can afford and every penny will be donated to the Red Cross on the ground helping women, children, the old, the infirm and the wounded.
Donate to help The Sun's fund
Or text to 70141 from UK mobiles
£3 — text SUN£3
£5 — text SUN£5
£10 — text SUN£10
Texts cost your chosen donation amount (e.g. £5) +1 standard message (we receive 100%). For full T&;Cs visit
The Ukraine Crisis Appeal will support people in areas currently affected and those potentially affected in the future by the crisis.
In the unlikely event that the British Red Cross raise more money than can be reasonably and efficiently spent, any surplus funds will be used to help them prepare for and respond to other humanitarian disasters anywhere in the world.
For more information visit
Topics