Russia today mourned its first female regular soldier to be killed in Ukraine.
Corporal Anastasia Savitskaya, 35, was reported to have died on yet another day of appalling war losses of high-ranking officers in Vladimir Putin’s forces.
The female soldier, a married mother-of-two said to be a “real hero”, was buried today in her native Volgograd.
“The deceased became the first servicewoman who died during the special military operation,” said Alexander Strukov, the local veterans’ leader.
A friend said: “She had dreamed of serving in the army since childhood, and signed a contract at the age of 18.”
Going to war in Ukraine “was her choice”.
Her bereft husband - a former soldier, not named - said at her funeral: “How will I carry on living now?
“Why did I let you go there?
“Beloved, beautiful, best.”
Unlike some Western countries it remains rare for Russian servicewomen to go to war.
A eulogy at her funeral said: “A female warrior has always been an exception to the rule.
“But Anastasia, having mastered the ‘home’ front, went without fear to a dangerous special operation, accomplishing a double feat.”
Sturkov said: “I express my condolences on the loss of the glorious daughter of Russia.
“Fighting and female servicemen seem incompatible, but fate has decreed so.
“We are both grieving and proud.”
Her commander Major Sergey Minochkin said: “She went to collect humanitarian aid and then went to Ukraine herself.
“The command of the unit expresses its deepest condolences to her relatives.
“For us, she will always be a real hero.”
Separately, today has seen the disclosure of multiple losses of colonels.
Among the latest was Colonel Nikolai Kornelyuk, 49, an artillery commander with the Volgograd 20th Guards Motor Rifle Division.
Lt-Col Anatoly Vasin was also killed.
Another colonel killed earlier but not disclosed at the time was Lt-Col Denis Glebov, 37, who was buried in Ryazan, Russia.
He was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage under a decree signed by Vladimir Putin.
This takes the toll to at least 74 colonels killed in Putin’s war.
In two days, Putin has seen 12 colonels either killed in latest fighting or revealed as slain in this period.
A dozen generals have also perished in the bloody conflict.
Earlier today the death of Russian Lt-Col Alexander Sorochinsky was disclosed.
His funeral was held today in Borodino village, Moscow region.
Putin also lost Lt-Col Viktor Pakholsky, 38, deputy commander of the 39th helicopter regiment in Dzhankoy, Crimea.
