Kursk: Major General Mikhail Gudkov, the Deputy Chief of the Russian Navy and a key battlefield commander, was reportedly killed in Ukraine’s latest offensive in the Kursk region, according to Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of Russia's Far Eastern Primorsky Territory.
Gudkov, a highly decorated military figure who also led a marine brigade engaged in the ongoing conflict, was said to have died in a targeted Ukrainian strike on a command post in Korenevo, a town near the Russia-Ukraine border. Multiple unofficial military channels on Telegram from both Russian and Ukrainian sources reported that the attack resulted in the deaths of Gudkov and at least ten other servicemen.
Governor Kozhemyako, who claimed to have had a longstanding personal relationship with Gudkov, paid tribute to his commitment and sacrifice, stating the officer died “fulfilling his duty.” He praised Gudkov’s practice of personally inspecting frontline positions even after ascending to the Navy’s top ranks.
Gudkov, who had been appointed as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy by President Vladimir Putin in March 2025, had previously received numerous honors for his role in military operations in Ukraine. However, he had also faced accusations of war crimes from the Ukrainian government.
The Russian Defence Ministry has yet to release an official statement, and Kyiv has made no public comment so far regarding the incident.
Gudkov's unit, part of the Pacific Fleet, had been stationed in the conflict-heavy Kursk region. The area experienced intense fighting last August when Ukrainian forces briefly advanced into Russian territory, only to be pushed back later by a Russian counter-offensive.
His death marks one of the most high-profile Russian military casualties since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.