Another top Russian general has died in battle in Ukraine, Viségrad 24 reports.

Colonel Alexander Bespalov, the commander of the 59th Guards Tank Regiment, was reportedly killed in battle by Ukrainian defence forces.

It would add to the death of 16 among Vladimir Putin’s senior military figures, including five named colonels and four lieutenant colonels, confirmed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence earlier this week.

As per local media reports, a funeral was held for Bespalov on Friday in the Russian city of Ozersk.

Though not independently verified, Col Bespalov’s death renews questions over the efficiency behind the Kremlin’s war strategy, which, Express.co.uk has been told, is “really disruptive” to Moscow’s goals. READ MORE

Mark Savchuk, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, said: “People like generals… they shouldn’t die, because they shouldn’t be at the frontline.”

The 32-year-old, speaking from a Kyiv basement in which he shelters with a group of friends, said this comes down to a “lack of preparation” by Moscow.

Describing Russia’s army as “an old doctrine”, he said general fighting close to the frontline means “the probability of a lucky strike is actually much higher than in a conventional army”.