Putin has suffered a devastating blow when as a US-made HIMARS missile blasted 65 soldiers after they were lining up for a parade.
Harrowing pictures show bodies strewn on a military training ground in the aftermath of the strike.
In a humiliating reverse, at least 165 soldiers and officers were killed en masse by a US-made missile strike.
The Russian soldiers had been ordered to line up for an impromptu inspection by leading war commander Major-General Oleg Moiseev, 49, when the unexpected blow hit.
The fallen soldiers were part of the 4th, 5th and 6th companies of the 36th Guards Motorised Rifle Brigade.
Ukraine had intelligence about the gathering with disciplinarian Moiseev, commander of the 29th Army of the Eastern Military District and a hero of pro-Putin propagandists.
The pinpoint HIMARS triple strike hit the target moments before the major-general reached the spot, according to Russian sources.
Putin suffered a further setback today with Ukraine claiming to have shot down another Russian Su-34 fighter jet.
It is the seventh enemy warplane destroyed in a week, according to Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk.
Moiseev was put on blast by Russian war-bloggers for endangering his subordinates by calling an inspection in Trudivske, occupied Donetsk region.
The costly blunder came as Putin sought to bask in the glory of his troops’ minor advance in Avdiivka, following a tactical retreat by the Ukrainian army.
The dictator told his defence minister Sergei Shoigu: “As for the overall situation in Avdiivka, this is an absolute success.
“I congratulate you. It needs to be built on.”
Shoigu boasted: “The operation for the liberation of Avdiivka will be included in textbooks and studied in all educational institutions of the [Russian] Defence Ministry.”
Seeking to impress, he reportedly also lied to Putin over the capture of another strategically significant Ukrainian village Krynki, in Kherson region, which remains in Ukrainian hands.
“It is indeed true….Krynki has been cleared [of Ukrainians],” said Shoigu inaccurately to his boss.
Russian Telegram channel Thirteenth reported: “How many more fantastic versions will be reported to the top [Putin]?
“This is not positive propaganda, this is an outright lie [by Shoigu].”
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