Vladimir Putin Loses 58th Colonel In Ukraine Invasion But Wants To Press Ahead In Donetsk

Russia may have made some headway in its war with Ukraine but the gains haven't come without sacrifices on its part.

What Happened: Lieutenant Colonel Yegor Meleshenko was killed while "defending the residents of Donbas," media reported, citing officials in Berdsk, Siberia. The 43-year-old tank commander is the 58th Russian colonel to be killed thus far in the Ukraine war.

Meleshenko's funeral was held in the Novosibirsk region of Russia on Monday.

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No Turning Back: Despite the loss of over 30,000 Russian lives, President Vladimir Putin isn't yet ready to give up and is focused on grabbing more territory in the Donetsk region, the Sun reported, citing experts.

Moscow captured the city of Lysychansk on Sunday, giving it full control of the Luhansk region, which lies adjacent to Donetsk.

The war between Russia and Ukraine started on Feb. 24 and has been raging on for more than four months now. Russia has lost several of its high-ranking officers, including 11 generals, in the war.

The war between the two eastern European countries has wreaked havoc on the Russian economy, reflecting the costs associated with the war and the impact of Western sanctions on the country.

Earlier this week, Ray Dalio, the founder of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, said he believes Russia's victory depends not only on it being successful in controlling the eastern part of Ukraine but also on it avoiding intolerable GDP declines, and Putin managing to stay on and remain on the world stage.

Photo via Asatur Yesayants on Shutterstock