Russian Navy Deputy Commander Major General Mikhail Gudkov was killed in combat with Ukrainian forces in the Kursk region on Thursday, according to U.S. media outlet CNN.
The Governor of the eastern Primorsky region, Oleg Kozhemyako, confirmed Gudkov’s death.
“He died a heroic death alongside fellow soldiers while carrying out his duty,” CNN quoted Kozhemyako as saying.
The Russian Defense Ministry has also confirmed Gudkov’s death. While it acknowledged that he was killed in the Kursk region, the ministry has not released further details about the incident.
The Ukrainian side has yet to respond to reports of Gudkov’s death.
International media outlets have described Gudkov’s death as a significant loss for Russia.
He was appointed by President Vladimir Putin in March of this year as Deputy Commander of the Navy’s coastal and ground forces.
He had previously served as the commander of the 155th Brigade, which fought in Ukraine.
When he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Navy’s Coastal and Ground Forces, it was reportedly stated that “the decision to expand his responsibilities was made based on recommendations suggesting that his experience would benefit other units as well.”
His death marks a rare instance of a high-ranking Russian military officer being killed in the three-year-long Russia-Ukraine war.
The Kursk region, located near the Russian border, is considered a strategic zone where clashes between Ukrainian and Russian forces have intensified in recent months.
In mid-2024, Ukrainian forces reportedly infiltrated parts of Kursk and took control of several villages. These offensives, described as sudden and coordinated, destabilized Russian defensive positions. Ukrainian troops managed to hold areas such as Sudzha and Tyotkino near the border for a time, but Russian forces later launched a large-scale counteroffensive and regained much of the lost territory.
On May 20, Russian President Vladimir Putin even visited the Kursk region.
