Russian troops recorded the loss of the 42nd colonel in combat, yet another setback for President Vladimir Putin as he is about to complete the third month after the invasion of Ukraine. Denis Kozlov, 40, died on May 11 while guiding a ferry to push Russian troops further, according to a report by Russian news agency ‘Vladimir News’. The colonel was posthumously awarded the ‘Russian Order of Courage’ and buried in his hometown of Murom in Vladimir oblast.
Denis Kozlov is said to have been the second-in-command of the 12th Separate Engineer Guards of the Keningsbersko-Gorodokskaya Red Banner Brigade to die in the war – the colonel replaced 45-year-old Sergei Porokhnya, who was killed on the battlefield on March 14.
Colonel Denis Kozlov was reportedly the commander of the 12th Engineering Brigade. He was killed on May 11 setting up a pontoon bridge across a river, presumably the Siverskyi Donets.https://t.co/wRErD5f23hhttps://t.co/eWZ6KQMJAPhttps://t.co/WlMkJQfGlMhttps://t.co/waNc8N6eu4 pic.twitter.com/OLOMY75Ogs
— Rob Lee (@RALee85) May 17, 2022
The officer’s death took place near the Siverskyi Donets River. According to the Ukrainian military, Russian forces suffered heavy losses while trying to cross the Siverskyi Donets River near the village of Belogorovka in the Luhansk region. Satellite images collected by the geospatial intelligence company BlackSky show that the floating bridge was destroyed on May 10 after Ukrainian artillery struck the bridge and the surrounding area.
Putin’s troops reportedly lost dozens of fighters and nearly “70 units” of military equipment, Luhansk region governor Serhii Haidai said. “At Bilohorivka, where the enemy tried to create a solid crossing and transfer equipment and personnel to our side, it was partially successful but now all pontoon crossings have been destroyed, all equipment has been destroyed and the remaining personnel have been killed or fled ”, revealed the governor.
Artillerymen of the 17th tank brigade of the #UAarmy have opened the holiday season for ruscists. Some bathed in the Siverskyi Donets River, and some were burned by the May sun. pic.twitter.com/QsRsXmnJ65
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 11, 2022
Ukraine said on Wednesday that more than 28,300 Russian soldiers had been killed since Putin declared war on February 24 and forced more than 6.2 million people to flee the country.
Source: With Agencies