One of the biggest losses that the Russiasince the start of the war with Ukraine, became known today (03.07.2025), after being killed in Kursk Lieutenant -Commander Michael Goudkov, the Deputy Chief of the Russian Navy.
In particular, the “number 2” of the Russian Navy, who had also led a brigade who fought against Ukraine, was killed in the Russian region of Kursk, said Oleg Kozemiakos, ruler of a region in Russian Far East.
“On July 2, 2025, during the battles in one of the border zones in the Kursk region, Admiral Michael Evgenievic Gudkov was killed,” the Russian Armed Forces said and confirmed a short time later.
Unofficial Russian and Ukrainian channels in the Telegram had earlier reported that Gudkov was killed along with 10 other soldiers in a Ukrainian attack on a position of administration in Korenevo, in the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.
Michael Gudkov is one of the highest Russian military who have been killed by the Ukrainians since 2022 when Moscow launched the war against Ukraine.
Kozemiakos, who said he was talking a lot with Gudkov in previous years, said in a statement that Gudkov was killed “performing his duty as an officer” with others and expressed his condolences to his relatives.
“When he became chief of the Navy, he did not stop visiting our marines personally,” Kozemiakos wrote on the Telegram.
Gudkov was awarded for bravery in military action against Ukraine and was charged by Kiev of war crimes. Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed him a Navy’s deputy in March, according to a post on the Kremlin website.
So far there is no comment from the Russian Ministry of Defense nor from Ukraine.
Gudkov was led by a Brigade of Marines of the Russian Pacific Fleet, who fought in Kursk. Parts of Kursk had been occupied by Ukrainian forces with a surprise attack in August 2024, before Russia announced this year that it was repelled.