Russian Military Command Faces Heavy Toll: 19 Generals Among Casualties Since Ukraine Invasion

According to an investigation by the outlet The Insider, Russia has experienced the deaths of at least 19 generals since the outset of its large-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly four years ago, relying on open-source information as well as reports from both Russian and Ukrainian sources.

The outlet mentioned that not all of these fatalities were officially acknowledged by Russian officials.

Among those who perished in 2022 were generals Andrei Sukhovetsky, Oleg Mityaev, Vladimir Frolov, Andrei Simonov, Kanamat Botashev, and Roman Kutuzov.

In the years that followed, generals Sergei Goryachev, Oleg Tsokov, and Vladimir Zavadsky were also reported killed, as per the findings of the investigation.

Recent casualties include Igor Kirillov, who leads Russia’s radiation, chemical, and biological defense troops; Yaroslav Moskalik, the deputy head of the General Staff’s main operational directorate; Mikhail Gudkov, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Navy; and Fanil Sarvarov, who heads the General Staff’s operational training department.

The Insider noted that senior military officers were killed both near the frontline and in areas distant from active combat, including in strikes on command centers, aviation mishaps, explosions, and alleged sabotage operations. Several generals were reportedly shot by snipers or killed by artillery during the early phases of the conflict.

Some of those who died were either retired at the time or serving in volunteer units, such as mercenary companies and the Defense Ministry’s Storm Z formations comprising prison recruits.

In early December, a high-ranking NATO official informed the BBC’s Russian service that the total number of Russian soldiers killed or injured might be nearing 1.15 million.

Additionally, BBC Russian and the exiled outlet Mediazona reported earlier that the confirmed military deaths in Russia, based on open-source information, had reached 152,142 since the invasion commenced.

The highest numbers of verified fatalities were found in the republics of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, as well as the Sverdlovsk region.

Data indicates that around 67% of confirmed casualties originated from rural areas and towns with populations under 100,000.

The Economist has projected that by late autumn 2025, Russia may have lost approximately 1% of its pre-war male population due to deaths in Ukraine.