Another Top Russian Army General Dies In Ukraine War, Ukrainian Military Confirms

The Armed Forces of Ukraine has eliminated another top-ranking Russian general, a Russian state reporter and Ukrainian officials confirmed.

On Sunday, Russian correspondent Alexander Sladkov reported the death of Maj. Gen. Roman Kutuzov who had been leading troops from the Donetsk region. Sladkov did not offer any details on when and where Kutuzov died.

"The general had led soldiers into attack, as if there are not enough colonels," Sladkov wrote on a Telegram post. "On the other hand, Roman was the same commander as everyone else, albeit a higher rank."

Ukraine Army’s Center for Strategic Communications (Stratcom) also confirmed Kutuzov's death, adding that he was killed by Ukrainian forces on June 5 near the village of Mykolaivka in Luhansk Oblast. The region is currently seeing the most intense fighting between Russian invaders and Ukrainian troops.

"Exclusive. You're welcome. 'Commander of the 1st Army Corps (orcs) of the 'DPR' ('Donetsk People's Republic'), Major General Roman Kutuzov has been officially denazified and demilitarized," the Ukrainian army said, according to The New Voice of Ukraine.

Maj. Gen. Kutuzov previously served as the chief of staff of the combined arms formation of the Russian Federation’s eastern military district. The faction unites military units deployed in Buryatia, the Far East and Transbaikalia. He also served as the acting commander of the 5th Combined Arms Army (CAA) and was awarded the Order of Kutuzov, the Order of Courage, the Order of Honor, the Order of Military Merit and the Medal of Courage for his work.

His death comes as rumors circulated about the death of Lt. Gen. Roman Berdnikov who commanded the 29th Army. It is believed that Berdnikov was killed the same day as Kutuzov, according to the New York Post.

Berdnikov’s death has yet to be confirmed by any Russian state-backed media outlets. The International Business Times could not independently verify the claim.

Russia has lost a high number of generals and high-ranking officers in the war in Ukraine. While it is not presently clear how many generals have been killed, Ukrainian officials said they have killed approximately 12 generals as of May 4. In contrast, the Kremlin has only acknowledged the deaths of a few of its military officials.