The leader of the pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk confirmed on Tuesday the death of a Russian general in eastern Ukraine, where Russian forces have stepped up their offensive in recent days.
This is Major General Roman Kutuzov, whose death was reported by a Russian war correspondent on Sundaybut that had not yet been confirmed by official sources.
In a message posted on the Telegram messaging platform, separatist leader Denis Pushilin sent “sincere condolences to the family and friends” of Major General Roman Kutuzov, who “showed by example how to serve the motherland.”
“As long as our generals fight alongside the soldiers, our country and our nation will be invincible,” added Pushilin, who illustrated the message with a black-and-white photo of the Russian officer, according to the French agency AFP.
Ukrainian sources said Kutuzov was killed on Sunday near the town of Mykolaiv in the Lugansk region.
Kutuzov served as commander of the Russian 5th Combined Army and later as deputy commander of the 29th Combined Army.
The announcement of Kutuzov’s death comes as Russian forces and their separatist allies attack the Ukrainian region of Donbass, with fierce fighting in the city of Severodonetsk.
Several high-ranking Russian military officers have been killed since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. The exact number is not known, since Russian authorities rarely report their losses.
At the end of March, a ceremony in Crimea paid tribute to the deputy commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Andrei Pali, who was killed in action in Ukraine, near Mariupol (southeast).
In April, the funeral of General Vladimir Frolov took place in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg, with local authorities declaring that the soldier had died a “heroic death” in Ukraine.
Ukrainian and Russian casualties in the war that has been going on for more than three months are unknown, but several sources, including the UN, admit they will be high.
The war has killed at least 1,563 civilians and injured 2,213
Source: Observadora
