On July 2, 2025, Major General Mikhail Gudkov, deputy head of the Russian Navy, was killed in a Ukrainian missile strike in Russia’s Kursk region, marking a significant loss for Moscow. The attack, reported by Russian authorities, targeted a command and control centre.
The Russian Defence Ministry confirmed Gudkov, 42, died during “combat work” in Kursk’s Korenevo district, near Ukraine’s border, on July 2, 2025. Unofficial Telegram channels reported a U.S.-made HIMARS missile struck a command post, killing Gudkov and up to 10 other servicemen. Primorsky Krai Governor Oleg Kozhemyako noted Gudkov’s death alongside others, stating he was “carrying out his duty as an officer.” The strike’s specifics remain unverified by Reuters, with Ukraine offering no immediate comment.
Russian navy leader Mikhail Gudkov confirmed killed in Ukraine missile strike https://t.co/ms9bgcZs3B pic.twitter.com/mCjDI6CN5n
— New York Post (@nypost) July 3, 2025Gudkov, appointed deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy in March 2025 by President Vladimir Putin, previously led the 155th Separate Guards Marine Brigade, accused by Kyiv of war crimes, including prisoner executions. Despite his promotion, Gudkov frequently visited frontline positions, per Kozhemyako. Honored as a Hero of Russia in February 2025, his death is among the highest-ranking losses since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with at least 10 other senior commanders killed.
Kursk became a flashpoint after Ukraine’s August 2024 cross-border incursion, the first major foreign invasion of Russian territory since World War II. Ukraine’s offensive aimed to disrupt Russia’s plans in Sumy Oblast, claiming 25,625 Russian deaths and 971 captures by July 2025. Russia, bolstered by North Korean troops, retook most of Kursk in March 2025. The strike on Gudkov highlights Ukraine’s precision capabilities, possibly aided by intelligence leaks, per Russian Telegram reports.
