Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Mykhailo Gudkov became the 16th Russian general eliminated since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The loss of so many high-ranking officers has likely undermined the command and control system in Russian Armed Forces units. This is stated in a new report by the UK Ministry of Defense based on intelligence data, as reported by UNN.
Details
As noted by British intelligence, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that Major General Mykhailo Gudkov died on July 2, 2025, in the Kursk region of Russia. Gudkov, appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy on March 28, 2025, died during a Ukrainian strike on a Russian command post, the report stated.
"Gudkov likely commanded marine units attempting to establish a buffer zone in Ukraine's Sumy region. The advance of Russian troops in Sumy region has slowed due to Ukrainian counterattacks and significant Russian losses. Gudkov was a former commander of the 155th Marine Brigade of Russia's Pacific Fleet," the report said.
It is noted that Gudkov became the second high-ranking Russian general killed in 2025, the fifth general killed in the last 12 months, and the sixteenth Russian general killed since the beginning of Russia's illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
"The loss of so many high-ranking officers has likely undermined the command and control system in units of the Russian armed forces. This has likely led to the tactical and operational difficulties Russia has faced during the conflict," the intelligence added.
Recall
On July 2, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Mykhailo Gudkov, who was responsible for the actions of the marines, died in the Kursk region.