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Maj. Gen. Mikhail Gudkov, deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy for coastal and ground forces and a recipient of the “Hero of Russia” award, was killed on July 2 in one of the border districts of Russia’s western Kursk Region during “combat work,” an announcement from Primorsky Krai Governor Oleg Kozhemyako stated. Gudkov’s deputy, Nariman Shikhaliyev, was also killed.
According to pro-Russian military channels, Gudkov and Shikhaliyev were among the 10 to 20 Russian service members who were killed in a HIMARS strike on a command post in the village of Korenevo in the Kursk Region. The strike reportedly involved at least four direct hits on the forward command post of the 155th Separate Naval Infantry Brigade.
Although Gudkov had been promoted and reassigned earlier this year, he continued to exercise operational control over the brigade, which he had previously commanded. In March, he was appointed deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy and was expected to participate in a major restructuring of the naval infantry. The planned reforms aimed to expand the current brigades into larger divisional formations.
Under Gudkov’s leadership, the 155th Naval Infantry Brigade took part in the early stages of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, including fighting in the Kyiv Region. Ukrainian authorities have accused the brigade of committing war crimes in Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel. On March 27, 2022, Ukrainian intelligence published a list of alleged war criminals from the unit, claiming that at least three service members were directly involved in the killings of civilians in those areas.
The brigade has suffered heavy losses over the course of the full-scale war. During assaults on the city of Vuhledar, the brigade reportedly lost around 2,400 of its 3,000 personnel — nearly 80 percent of its strength.
Despite the accusations of war crimes, on March 28, 2022, Vladimir Putin awarded the brigade the honorary title of “Guards.”