Russian forces fighting in Ukraine have lost two more high ranking officers in the latest blow to Vladimir Putin's invasion plans.
Early fears Ukraine would fall quickly to the Russian onslaught were quickly put to bed as stiff resistance bogged down the invading army forcing the Kremlin to reassess the strategy.
The latest two colonels to be killed including one of Russia’s youngest to reach such a high rank, takes the Russian toll to at least 52 colonels killed during the bloody conflict.
Lt-Col Vadim Gerasimov, aged only 36, a battalion from Leningrad region, was posthumously awarded a Hero of Russia - the country’s highest honour - on Putin’s orders.
His funeral was being held today in Leningrad region, with his widow also expected to receive his posthumous Order of Courage.
A graduate of the prestigious Frunze military academy, he was the father of a daughter.
The second high-ranked officer whose death was revealed today is Colonel Ruslan Shirin, a brigade commander, who “heroically died in battle”.
The chief of staff of the 336th Separate Guards Marine Brigade, part of the Baltic Fleet, was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage.
It was not clear how and where in the Ukrainian war zone the colonels were killed.
The deaths were revealed two days after the 50th colonel - artillery commander Lt Col Vladimir Nigmatullin, 46, a father of three, from Yekaterinburg.
Russia recently lost its 11th general of the conflict, Major-General Roman Kutuzov was the chief of staff of the 29th Combined Arms Army.
He was awarded a posthumous promotion to Lieutenant-General.
Some sources have claimed that Russia lost a second and more senior general in the same incident in Donetsk region.
They say there is evidence that Lieutenant-General Roman Berdnikov, 47, was killed, too.
There have been claims that Ukraine has received Western intelligence assistance to target Putin’s commanders in the field, in an attempt to weaken the morale of Russian forces.
Whether or not this is the case, a large number of high ranking officers have been killed, with almost one colonel every two days in the war.
This comes as a former CIA agent claims the West is moving towards direct war with “unhinged” Vladimir Putin which may well turn nuclear.
Robert Baer believes the situation is “likely to get a lot worse” with Putin pursuing “Russian fascism” and that no one predicted the extent to which he would go.
The ex-CIA case officer, who discusses the threat from Putin in his new book “The Fourth Man”, said that the US was left flat-footed with Russia ’s invasion of Crimea and then the attack on Ukraine that began on February 24.
He told the Express : “What we have today is worse than anything during the Cold War.
“There’s no question the West had to support Ukraine but at the same time we’re inching towards a direct conflict between NATO and Russia.
"Whether or not it goes nuclear is anyone’s guess.”
