Top Russian General Killed in ‘Combat Operations’ Near Ukraine

Maj. Gen. Mikhail Gudkov, promoted to deputy head of the Russian Navy just a few months earlier, died in an apparent Ukrainian strike.

A top Russian marine commander, who was recently promoted by President Vladimir V. Putin, has been killed in the Kursk region near the Ukrainian border, Russia’s defense ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The officer, Maj. Gen. Mikhail Gudkov, was the deputy chief of the Russian Navy, in charge of coastal and ground forces. Before he was promoted earlier this year, he had commanded the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet, a group of marines who were heavily involved in the early weeks of the invasion of Ukraine and, more recently, in the battle for control of the Kursk region in Russia.

Ukrainian officials, who have previously claimed responsibility for several targeted assassinations of Russian commanders, did not immediately comment on reports of the general's death. Ukraine has accused the 155th brigade of killing civilians in Kyiv’s suburbs in the early weeks of the war and of executing prisoners of war.

The Russian defense ministry gave few details, saying only that General Gudkov had been killed on Wednesday “during combat operations” in the Kursk region bordering Ukraine. An obituary published on social media by a marines veterans association said four missiles had struck the brigade’s command center in the village of Korenevo, about 17 miles from the border, killing General Gudkov and nine other people, “many of them senior officers.”

Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of the Primorsky region in Russia’s Far East, where General Gudkov formerly served, also confirmed his death in a social media post, calling him a “strong-willed” general who “died in the line of duty together with his troops.” The Russian defense ministry did not report the deaths of others from the 155th brigade.

The killing of the general comes as Moscow’s forces have made advances in eastern Ukraine and the Trump administration has paused the delivery of some air defense interceptors and other weapons to Ukraine, putting a strain on the Ukrainian Army.

Mr. Gudkov is the highest-ranking Russian officer to have been killed in an apparent Ukrainian attack since the death of Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik of the Russian General Staff in a car explosion in April in Moscow.

In late March, Mr. Putin praised General Gudkov when he promoted him to deputy chief of the Russian Navy during a presidential visit to a nuclear-powered submarine, saying his “experience should be replicated across other units.”

In October 2023, Mr. Putin awarded General Gudkov the Hero of the Russian Federation Medal, a gold star that is one of the country’s top military honors, citing his courage, heroism and skillful command as the leader of the 155th brigade.

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

• Russian General Convicted: A top Russian general was convicted of embezzlement and jailed, state news media reported, in one of the highest-profile cases from a monthslong Kremlin campaign to root out military corruption amid the war in Ukraine.
• Weapons Transfers Halted: The Trump administration said it had paused the delivery of some weapons to Ukraine, citing Pentagon concerns that stocks were dwindling. The pause deepened Ukrainian concerns amid Russian attacks.
• McDonald’s in Ukraine: The American fast-food giant plans to open about 10 new restaurants in Ukraine in 2025, a testament to the country’s rebounding economy and its enduring love of Big Macs.
• The Weapon Ukrainians Fear at Night: Russia’s long-range drone program has brought about a deadly new phase in the war.
• American Killed in Russian Attack: Fred Grandy went to Kyiv as a volunteer because he was upset by the United States’ reversal in its support for Ukraine, his family said. He was among 28 people killed in a drone and missile assault.
• Resettled Ukrainians: The Trump administration suspended a temporary humanitarian program for Ukrainians. Now many are losing their ability to work, and fear deportation.

How We Verify Our Reporting

• Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs, videos and radio transmissions to independently confirm troop movements and other details.
• We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts.