Nephew of Sergei Shoigu's right-hand man in Russian defence ministry is killed by Ukrainian forces

The nephew of Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu’s right-hand man has been killed by Ukrainian forces in the war. 

Captain Adam Khamkhoyev, 30, a paratrooper commander, was killed on Friday night in Ukraine and later buried in the southern Russian province of Ingushetia.

His uncle Colonel-General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, 58, Russia’s hardline deputy defence minister under Shoigu, attended the funeral in plain clothes.

Khamkhoyev’s death marks the first time a relative of a senior Putin official has died during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Yevkurov, a senior pro-war figure in Vladimir Putin’s government, flew to Karabulak, Ingushetia to attend the funeral of his nephew on Sunday. ‘He shared his condolences, spoke to the elderlies and the religious part of the community, and then flew back to Moscow,’ Baza news outlet said.

Khamkhoyev, a graduate of the elite Ryazan Airborne Forces school, was the commander of a Russian airborne assault squadron and the son of Yevkurov’s sister.

The commander’s body was returned home immediately, in contrast to the wait of weeks or months faced by other grieving relatives.

Yevkurov – himself a career soldier and decorated paratrooper who won the Hero of Russia honour, the country’s highest award – has not commented on his nephew’s death.

Russia has not given details of where or how Khamkhoyev died.

Yevkurov is a former governor or Ingushetia, and is now one of the deputies to close Putin ally Shoigu, the Russian defence minister.

Yevkurov was the subject of an assassination bid in 2009.

In March, Yevkurov was seen visiting a bed bound soldier in hospital.

The serviceman had lost a leg and looked wide-eyed and scared as Yevkurov told him: ‘I hope you’ll get back on your feet.’