Russia Has Lost At Least Seven Generals in Ukraine War

Russia has reportedly lost at least seven generals in President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.

The seventh Russian general to have been killed in Ukraine was Russian Major General Vladimir Zavadsky, the "Mozhem Obyasnit" (We Can Explain) Russian Telegram news channel has reported. He was serving as deputy commander of Russia's 14th Army Corps when he was reportedly killed by a landmine. His death was reported by Ukrainian military officer Colonel Anatoly Stefan on November 28.

Russia has lost a number of high-ranking officers and generals in the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Newsweek has contacted Russia's Defense Ministry for comment by email.

Independent Russian-language news outlet Mediazona previously reported that by June 2, at least four Russian generals, 58 colonels and 176 lieutenant colonels had been killed since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine was launched in February 2022. That figure included Major General Kanamat Botashev, Major General Vladimir Frolov, Major General Roman Kutuzov and Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky.

The BBC Russian Service and independent Russian news outlet Mediazona reported that in the first month of Ukraine's counteroffensive, between June 4 and July 7, one Russian general, two colonels and three lieutenant colonels were killed in action.

Estimates of military casualties in the conflict vary widely, with figures provided by Ukraine usually outstripping those given by its Western allies. Russia rarely releases figures on its troop losses, but when it does, its estimates are far lower than those of Ukraine.

Mozhem Obyasnit noted that before Zavadsky's demise the last death of a high-ranking Russian officer was in July, when Lieutenant General Oleg Tsokov was killed near the Russian-controlled port city of Berdyansk in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.

Tskov's death was reported by Petr Andryushchenko, an advisor to the mayor of Mariupol. Tsokov had been commander of the 144th Motorized Rifle Division since August 2022. He received the rank of lieutenant general earlier this year.

In June, Yuri Kotenok, a Russian war correspondent, blogger and analyst who runs the Telegram channel Voenkor Kotenok Z, reported that Major General Sergei Goryachev, 52, chief of staff for the 35th Combined Arms Army, was killed "as a result of an enemy missile attack" in the Russian-occupied Donetsk region.

Viktor Kovalenko, a former Ukrainian soldier and journalist, told Newsweek that every loss of a top military officer creates "temporary localized chaos" within the Russian military, because their units "are not trained and even allowed to maneuver autonomously."

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