A Ukrainian missile strike on 2 July reportedly killed Major General Mikhail Gudkov, Russia’s Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, in Kursk Oblast, near the Ukrainian border. The strike targeted the forward command post of the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade in the village of Korenevo, according to an obituary posted by a Russian marine veterans group.

The Typhoon veterans organization claimed four missiles struck the site, killing over 10 Russian officers, including several senior commanders. Russia’s Ministry of Defense later confirmed Gudkov’s death, stating only that he died during “combat work” in a border district.

Senior Navy general confirmed dead

Gudkov’s death was also announced by Primorsky Krai governor Oleg Kozhemyako, who said the general died “fulfilling his duty as an officer” and had continued personally visiting frontline marine positions even after his promotion.

The Defense Ministry did not specify the circumstances of his death but confirmed the date—2 July.

Key role in Mariupol siege

Before his promotion in March 2025, Gudkov commanded the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade, which played a central role in Russia’s siege and assault on Mariupol in 2022. The months-long operation devastated the Ukrainian port city, leaving large portions in ruins. To this day, the true number of civilian casualties remains unknown, though estimates suggest thousands may have died.

Gudkov’s leadership in Mariupol earned him direct praise from President Vladimir Putin, who awarded him the title Hero of Russia and said his performance should be a model for other units.

Heavy losses in the 155th brigade

The 155th Brigade, considered an elite unit, has suffered extensive casualties during the war. A BBC report from December 2023 confirmed at least 234 soldiers killed, with total losses—including the wounded and missing—likely exceeding 1,450.

The brigade also reportedly suffered heavy losses in Sudzha, a border area in Kursk Oblast that saw fighting during a Ukrainian cross-border incursion in August 2024. Though Russian forces later regained control, the clashes revealed gaps in border security and inflicted serious casualties on elite units, including the 155th Brigade.

Gudkov becomes 11th Russian general killed

Gudkov is the 11th confirmed Russian general to die since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

Other notable deaths include:

• Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, killed in an April 2025 car bombing near Moscow.
• Maj. Gen. Sergei Goryachev and Lt. Gen. Oleg Tsokov, killed by missile strikes during Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive.
• Maj. Gen. Vladimir Zavadsky, killed by a landmine in late 2023.
• Gen. Pavel Klimenko, who died in a motorcycle crash in November 2024, possibly while evading a drone.
• Gen. Igor Kirillov, Russia’s top chemical and biological defense officer, assassinated in Moscow in December 2024 by a scooter bomb. Ukraine’s SBU claimed responsibility.

Early in the war, Russian generals were frequently present near frontline positions to speed up battlefield decision-making—a practice that has continued to result in high-ranking casualties.