Vladimir Putin suffered another grievous blow ahead of his Victory Day military extravaganza in Moscow tomorrow with the death of his 39th colonel in his bloody war in Ukraine.

Lt-Col Fezul Bichikaev, 36, was a high-flying elite soldier who died on a secret intelligence mission.

The father-of-three is being portrayed as a hero who was killed near Kharkiv 'with a machine gun in his hands covering his subordinates', according to reports in Russia.

A radio signal announced 'the commander is wounded' after a bullet pierced an artery, but he reportedly ordered his men: 'It's a scratch! Keep working! Work!'

'Thanks to the self-sacrifice and heroism of the officer, it was possible to save the lives of servicemen, destroy the enemy's sabotage group, and complete the combat mission,' said military expert Oleg Marzoev on a local news website in Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia.

He was one of Russia's youngest colonels, second in command of his regiment, and his death amounted to 'a heavy, irreparable loss', said the report.

His funeral was being held today.

Bichikaev's death comes a day after the disclosure of the death of Lt-Col Fyodor Solovyov, 44, in the Donbas.

Solovyov was commander of the howitzer self-propelled artillery regiment of the 127 motorised rifle division.

He was buried with full military honours and a triple volley of guns in Chunaki village, Penza region.