The Russian commanders killed in Putin’s war on Ukraine including major generals
Russia’s forces are said to be suffering heavy losses including among senior military staff
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Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine has so far claimed thousands of lives - including Russians.
The exact numbers of dead Russian troops is disputed; Ukraine claims as many as 20,000 have died with Moscow saying the figure is significantly lower.
Either way it is clear there have been losses, including a number of senior military figures.
Russian military deaths have been "far in excess" of what President Putin and his generals expected, CIA Director William Burns said during the first month of the war.
Mr Burns warned the Kremlin’s strategy was likely to "grind down the Ukrainian military with no regard for civilian casualties”.
Here we look at some of the senior Russian figures who have reportedly been killed in the conflict so far.
Major General Vladimir Frolov
Frolov, deputy commander of Russia’s 8th army, was given a military funeral in St Petersburg’s Serafimovskoe Cemetary on Saturday, April 16.
Alexander Beglov, governor of St Petersburg, confirmed the death in a statement saying Frolov fought in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine.
His statement read: “Today we say goodbye to a real hero. Vladimir Petrovich Frolov died a heroic death in battle with Ukrainian nationalists.
“He sacrificed his life so that children, women and the elderly in the Donbas would no longer hear bomb explosions.
“So that they stop waiting for death and leaving home, to say goodbye as if it were the last time.”
Colonel Alexander Bespalov
Bespalov – who led the 59th Guards Tank Regiment – was given a funeral in the central Russian city of Ozersk in early April.
No details were given about his death after it was revealed in a now-deleted post on a local messaging board.
A picture of Bespalov showed he was a highly decorated officer, with two rows of medals emblazoned on his chest.
Tributes were shared following the announcement of his funeral on ‘Overheard Novogorny’ – an online forum based in the Ozersk area.
One, purporting to be from the colonel’s sister Tatyana Karsakova said: “It is impossible to put into words what pain you feel when you lose a close and dear person. Dear brother, you will always be alive in our hearts.”
Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky
ukhovetsky, a high-ranking Russian general, was the first senior figure confirmed to have been killed during fighting in Ukraine, in what experts said would be a bitter blow for Mr Putin.
Sukhovetsky was the commanding general of the Russian 7th Airborne Division and a deputy commander of the 41st Combined Arms Army. A military source said he had been killed by a sniper.
His death, which was confirmed by a local officers’ organisation in the Krasnodar region in southern Russia, was seen as another sign Mr Putin’s war effort is not going to plan.
Sukhovetsky also took part in Russia's military campaign in Syria.
Major General Vitaly Gerasimov
Ukraine's defence ministry said Gerasimov, first deputy commander of Russia's 41st army, was killed in March.
He was the second Russian major general said to have been killed since the invasion began but Moscow's defence ministry did not confirm his death at the time.
Gerasimov, 45, had fought with Russian forces in Syria and Chechnya and had taken part in the seizure of Crimea in 2014.
Major General Andrei Kolesnikov
Ukraine’s armed forces said Andrei Kolesnikov was the third Russian major general to be killed in Mr Putin’s war.
Kolesnikov served as the commander of the 29th Combined Arms Army of the Eastern Military District, having only been promoted in December 2021.
He had previously been a lieutenant colonel and chief of staff of the 4th Guards Tank Division, personnel of which were involved in Kosovo and in the second Chechen war.
Lieutenant Colonel Denis Glebov
Lieutenant Colonel Denis Glebov was killed near the city of Chuhuiv, according to Russian media.
He was serving as Deputy Commander of the 11th Separate Airborne Assault Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces.
His funeral was held on Sunday 6 March, Russian media reported, and he was posthumously awarded the Order of Courage.
Colonel Konstantin Zizevsky
Konstantin Zizevsky, a commander of the 247th Guards Airborne Assault Regiment, was killed during fighting in the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
News of his death was shared on Instagram by Russian politician Minenkov Mikhail Anatolievich, who said: “During a special military operation to protect the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, my comrade, commander of the 247th Guards Airborne Assault Regiment, Guards Colonel Konstantin Zizevsky, died.
“The news of Konstantin’s death is a terrible blow.”
Colonel Alexei Shavrov
Colonel Shavrov was the commander of the 810th Guards Separate Order of Zhukov Brigade, an elite branch of the Russian Marines stationed in Sevastopol, Crimea.
Ukraine has claimed that the colonel died on Tuesday, 22 March while fighting Ukrainian soldiers who are resisting Russian occupation in the besieged coastal city of Mariupol.
Lieutenant Colonel Ruslan Gashiyatullin
Lieutenant Colonel Ruslan Gashiyatullin was the commander of the motorized rifle battalion from the Kurgan region.
Ukraine officials claim he was killed on 24 March.
General Magomed Tushaev
Magomed Tushaev, said to be the right-hand man of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, is also reported to have been killed during fighting.
Tushaev was leading the 141st motorised regiment of the Chechen National Guard and was killed on Saturday at Hostomel airport near Kyiv, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported.
This was confirmed by a captured fighter from this unit, Interfax-Ukraine said.
Vladimir Zhonga
Vladimir Zhoga, who led the rebel militant group of the Donetsk People's Republic, Sparta Battalion, was killed during battle in the eastern Ukrainian town of Volnovakha in March.
Denis Pushilin, who heads the breakaway Ukrainian territory of Donetsk, reportedly confirmed the kill on his Telegram channel.
"The commander of the Sparta separate reconnaissance battalion, Guards Col. Vladimir Zhoga, died like a hero in Volnovakha," he wrote.
Lieutenant Colonel Dmitry Safronov
Ukraine claims Lieutenant Colonel, Dmitry Safronov, who served as Commander of the 61st Separate Marine Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, has also been killed.
Major General Oleg Mityaev
Major General Oleg Mityaev was allegedly killed by the Ukrainian national guard during an attempt to storm Mariupol.
Adviser to Ukraine’s interior ministry, Anton Gerashchenko, announced his death after president Zelensky claimed that a fourth Russian general had been killed in the fighting.
General Mityaev was commander of Russia’s 150th motorised rifle division.
Lieutenant-General Andrei Mordvichev
Ukrainian officials claimed that Lieutenant-general Andrei Mordvichev was killed when Ukrainian forces hit an airfield in Chornobayivka, near Kherson airport.
In a statement from the general staff of the armed forces of Ukraine said that General Mordvichev had died “as a result of the fire attack on the opponent”.
The Kremlin have not confirmed the death.
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