My1sttoday World News — Russian Colonel “Alexei Sharov” Ukraine kills Putin’s 15th commander as Russian forces retreats from many cities.
President Vladimir Putin has lost his 15th commander as Russia continues to face stiff resistance from Ukrainian forces. Colonel Alexei Sharov was killed by Ukrainian forces in a fierce battle in Mariupol, dealing a hefty blow to the already demoralized Russian army that reportedly is now abandoning their vehicles and retreating in many parts of the country.
Sharov’s death is a major blow to the Russian forces given that he was among some of the close aides of Putin. This comes as leaked documents from Kremlin claim that more than 10,000 Russian soldiers have died since Russia’s invasion on Ukraine on February 25.
News of Sharov’s death comes as the Russia-Ukraine war entered its 27th day. Russia has now lost 15 commanders in less than a month, with Sharov being the sixth general to have been killed by Ukrainian forces. The death of Sharov comes as Russia continues to suffer its worst massacre of military brass since World War Two.
Alexei Sharov was commander of the 810th Guards Separate Order of Zhukov Brigade of Russia’s marine corps. He was killed in Mariupol, a city in southern Ukraine where over 200,000 people are stranded owing to fierce fighting and continuous bombing by the Russian air force.
Sharov was one of the closest aides of Putin, according to local media reports and his death is a major blow to the Russia forces, which is already demoralized after suffering huge losses.
Sharov’s death follows that of Colonel Nikolay Ovcharenko, Commander of the 45th Engineering Regiment. In a big offensive in Ukraine, he was reportedly slain alongside 18 of his teammates.
Russian Govt. official Anatoly Chubais has stepped down and left the country, citing his opposition to Putin’s war in Ukraine, sources tell Bloomberg News.
