A Kremlin propaganda ploy to deflect criticism away from a “drunk” front-line commander renowned for ordering soldiers on suicide missions has backfired.

Vladimir Solovyov, the host of state TV Rossiya-One’s daily chat show, last month described soldiers’ widows as liars for accusing Col Alexei Ksenofontov of being drunk and then sending their husbands to their deaths.

He told his audience that he personally knew Col Ksenofontov, who was made a “Hero of Russia” in April.

“Alexei is a normal commander, a thinking commander capable of competently preparing and carrying out a task,” he said.

“They have slandered a hero.”

But instead of silencing the mourning women, Mr Solovyov’s intervention has heaped more embarrassment onto the Kremlin by triggering new accusations and also given ordinary Russians a rare glimpse of the medieval techniques used by their military commanders.