The Ukrainian prosecution service says that at least 147 Ukrainian prisoners of war have been executed by Russian forces since the start of the full-scale invasion, 127 of them this year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Russia should have launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine earlier and been better prepared for the war.

Kirillov, 54, was the highest-ranking Russian military figure to die outside the battlefield since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago.

It cited "more than 4,800 cases of the enemy using chemical munitions" on Ukrainian territory since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.

Russian forces, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, have been advancing in eastern parts of the country in recent months.