re: Latest Updates: Russia-Ukraine Conflict.

Loading Twitter/X Embed...
If tweet fails to load, click here.

quote:

---

On July 2, the Ukrainian Defense Forces delivered one of the largest blows to the Russian military command in the entire war. In the village of Korenevo in the Kursk region, approximately 17 km from the frontline, Ukrainian intelligence detected significant activity and movement of Russian troops. The result of the strike on the massing of Russian forces exceeded all expectations.

Russia deployed the forward command post of its most combat-ready unit in this direction - the 155th Marine Brigade - for the offensive on the Sumy region. From Korenevo, the de facto commander of the Russian strike group in the Kursk region, deputy commander of the Russian Navy, major general Mikhail Gudkov, call sign "Varyag," was directing the Russian offensive.

List of Russian officers eliminated in Korenevo, as established so far from Russian sources:

- deputy commander of the Russian Navy - commander of the Russian Navy's coastal and ground forces, major general M. Gudkov;

- deputy commander of the Russian Navy's coastal and ground forces, Colonel N. Shykhaliyev;

- commander of the 155th Brigade, Colonel S. Ilyin;

- chief of staff of the 155th Brigade, colonel L. Bashkadin;

- commander of the 1st battalion of the 155th Brigade, lieutenant colonel I. Zakirov.

The following people were also eliminated: the brigade's artillery chief, air defense chief, communications chief, and chief of the brigade's drone department. Most of their assistants were also killed. Total losses amounted to about 20 killed and 30 wounded Russian soldiers.

Thus, the headquarters of the Russian marine brigade and the leadership of the strike group and ground forces of the Russian Navy were completely eliminated, the Russian offensive in this sector of the front was paralyzed for some time, and command and control over the troops in this area was lost.

The 42-year-old Gudkov was appointed to this post personally by Putin in March 2025. Prior to that, he commanded the same 155th Marine Brigade, and Putin appointed him to increase the fighting capability of all Russian Navy troops.

The 155th Brigade is wel-known for its war crimes - from the very beginning of the war, Gudkov gave orders to execute civilians in Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel, where the 155th Brigade was operating at the time. Gudkov then openly promoted war crimes, with his brigade and affiliated bloggers repeatedly posting videos of the execution of Ukrainian prisoners of war. Gudkov did this deliberately to prevent his soldiers from surrendering for fear of revenge from the Ukrainians. Gudkov himself, of course, never went on assaults and did not come closer than 15-20 km to the frontline. However, Gudkov was killed along with the entire brigade headquarters that had been carrying out orders to kill civilians and prisoners.

No less interesting than Gudkov's elimination itself is the political fallout and information infighting between supporters of the chief of General Staff Gerasimov and his opponents.

Putin had promoted Gudkov to a position far higher than that of any other Russian brigade commander, and from this post, Gudkov could well have become a rival to Gerasimov to become the chief of the General Staff. According to Russian Z-blogger Alexey Romanov, who is critical of Gerasimov, General Sukhrab Akhmedov, who is completely loyal to Gerasimov and had a poor relationship with Gudkov, has been appointed acting commander of the Russian Navy's coastal and ground forces. Romanov thus directly hinted that Gerasimov himself leaked the information about Gudkov's location to the Ukrainians. In response, Gerasimov's supporter, Russian propagandist Solovyev, accused several bloggers close to Gudkov, including Vladimir Grubnik, of supplying the 155th Brigade with a batch of radio stations that allowed Ukrainians to access the communications system.

Whatever the case may be, the Russians were unable to identify the sources of the information leak.

---