Ukraine war: Another Russian general killed by Ukrainian forces – reports
Russian state media have confirmed the death of one of Moscow’s top generals during heavy fighting in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region.
Maj Gen Roman Kutuzov was killed leading an assault on a Ukrainian settlement in the region, a reporter with the state-owned Rossiya 1 said.
Alexander Sladkov said Gen Kutuzov had been commanding troops from the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic.
Russia’s defense ministry has not commented on the reports.
“The general had led soldiers into attack as if there are not enough colonels,” Mr Sladkov wrote on the Telegram social media app. “On the other hand, Roman was the same commander as everyone else, albeit a higher rank.”
Ukraine’s military also confirmed the killing of Gen Kutuzov, without offering further details about the circumstances.
His death comes as rumours circulated on social media that a second senior officer, Lt Gen Roman Berdnikov, commander of the 29th Army, was also killed in fighting over the weekend. The BBC cannot independently verify the claims.
Russian commanders have been increasingly forced to the front in an attempt to drive forward the invasion and Moscow has confirmed the deaths of four senior generals.
Kyiv claims to have killed 12 generals and Western intelligence officials say at least seven senior commanders have been killed.
But there has been confusion over reports of the deaths of several other Russian officers. Three generals that Ukrainian forces claimed to have killed have subsequently been reported to be alive.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES