The deputy governor of a Russian region has been killed fighting in Ukraine, becoming the highest-ranking Russian official to die in the war.

Sergey Efremov, the deputy governor of Russia’s eastern region of Primorsky Krai, was killed returning to Russian lines from a battle with Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region.

Oleg Kozhemyako, the area’s governor, said in an emotional video that his deputy had died a hero, adding: “I know that his friends and comrades will do everything to avenge him.”

The Kremlin has encouraged officials to lead by example and sign up to fight – but most deploy to VIP drone units that stay well behind the front line.

It appears that Efremov, who trained as a soldier and graduated from the prestigious airborne officers’ college in Ryazan, took a different approach.

He set up a volunteer unit called the Tigers in June 2022, when Russia was on the back foot across Ukraine.

He fought with the unit until 2023 when he returned to Primorsky Krai. Apparently motivated by the Ukrainian invasion of Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024, Efremov then rejoined the Tigers.

“He honoured and courageously fulfilled combat missions there, glorifying the marine infantry, glorifying the Tigers and Primorsky Krai,” said Mr Kozhemyako.

Photographs on the Telegram social messaging app showed 51-year-old Efremov to be a thick-set, jowly man.

He was reportedly travelling in a car blown up by a landmine. Another Russian army officer was also killed.

Denis Pushilin – head of the occupied Donetsk, which Putin annexed in 2022 – knew Efremov and called his death an “irreparable loss”.