Russian general reportedly killed in eastern Ukraine, another high-ranking casualty
- Russian state media journalist says Major General Roman Kutuzov was killed
- Russia classifies military deaths as state secrets even in times of peace
A Russian general was killed in eastern Ukraine, a Russian state media journalist said, adding to the string of high-ranking military casualties sustained by Moscow.
The report, published on the Telegram messaging app by state television reporter Alexander Sladkov on Sunday, did not say precisely when and where Major General Roman Kutuzov was killed.
There was no immediate comment from Russia’s defence ministry.
Russian forces have intensified attacks to capture Sievierodonetsk, a key city in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region that Moscow is targeting after failing to take the capital Kyiv early in the war.
Russia already classifies military deaths as state secrets even in times of peace and has not updated its official casualty figures in Ukraine since March 25, when it said that 1,351 Russian soldiers had been killed since the start of its military campaign on February 24.
It’s also estimated that Russia has lost as many as 15,000 troops in the war, if not more, and at least 12 Russian generals have been among those killed, according to Ukrainian and Western media reports.