According to reports, Captain Alexander Chirva died in the port of Berdyansk, Ukraine at an unspecified time during the conflict. Captain Chirva was the senior officer on the landing ship Caesar Kunikov which belongs to the Black Sea Fleet.

The flagship of the Fleet was the Moskva, the warship which sank in the Black Sea last week following what was reportedly a strike to the hull by a Ukrainian missile.

Vice Admiral Igor Osipov, the head of the Black Sea Fleet is understood to have been detained by Russia after the ship was destroyed. 

The Deputy Commander of the fleet Captain 1st Rank Andrei Paliy died in Ukraine in March.

The news of Captain Chirva’s death comes as it is reported by Ukrainian officials that the approximate number of Russian deaths since the invasion is 20,600.

It is also thought that the Russian side has lost 790 tanks, 167 planes, eight boats, and 147 helicopters since their February attack.

The cause of death has not been revealed and it is thought he died during Ukrainian attacks on the ship last month, though this has not been confirmed. 

The Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhayev spoke to Russia’s TASS news organisation, and he confirmed Chirva’s death. 

He said: “Today we said goodbye to Alexander Grigorievich Chirva.”

READ MORE:Huge 50mile queue of trucks forms on EU’s border with Belarus

During the conflict, Russia has lost eight generals and at least 35 colonels though the reality of such figures could be higher.

Tributes from pro-Russia outlets paid tribute to the colonel with an MP from Smolensk, the pro-Putin United Russia party said: “Sleep well, dear friends, your death will not be in vain.

“The men will continue your work and fulfil all the tasks of the special military operation.”

He added: “I have no words for how hard it is to lose friends, Ivan was a real colonel – in the brigade his name was ‘Dad’.”