Major General Mikhail Gudkov, deputy head of the Russian Navy and one of the highest-ranking Russian commanders in the ongoing conflict, was killed in action during combat operations in Russia’s Kursk region, near the Ukrainian border. His death was confirmed by the Russian Defence Ministry on July 3, 2025.
Gudkov, aged 42 and known by the call sign "Viking," was reportedly killed in a Ukrainian missile strike on a command center in Kursk, with sources indicating the use of a U.S.-supplied HIMARS rocket system. Prior to his death, Gudkov had been overseeing marine operations, possibly in Ukraine’s Sumy region.
Awarded a prestigious military honor by President Vladimir Putin earlier this year, Gudkov led the navy’s coastal and land forces, including marine units engaged in the conflict. His death marks a significant loss for Moscow and is part of a broader pattern in which at least ten senior Russian commanders have been killed or assassinated by Ukrainian forces since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
The killing of Gudkov underscores the ongoing high-stakes nature of the war and Ukraine’s continued capability to target senior Russian military leadership even within Russian territory.