By Claudia Trotman
A Russian war official, renowned for his brutal crimes during the Ukrainian Bucha war massacre , has died following a missile strike from Ukraine , reports detail. Russian Major General Mikhail Yevgenyevich Gudkov held many titles, including commander of the 155th Separate Guards Naval Infantry Brigade and deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy . He was killed during a targeted precision strike near the boarder of Russia and Ukraine on July 2, detailed by Czech monitoring group KilledInUkraine. News of his death was also shared on the Suvorov Brotherhood, a Russian military-affiliated channel on Telegram. That particular source “does not publish fake news,” according tot he Czech monitoring group. 鈥淟egendary Major General killed in a HIMARS strike on a command post, along with his deputy and 20 others,鈥 Russian war correspondents wrote. The strike was said have taken place in the Korenovo area of Russia鈥檚 Kursk region. There, Ukrainian fighters targeted a Russian post, which killed Gudkov. Adding to this, his deputy and around 20 other officers were killed. In that number, other senior officials were involved. Gudkov’s role saw him oversee the 155th Separate Guards Naval Infantry Brigade. That specific unit was well known for carrying out bloody battles against Ukraine. Because of this, the post has been targeted several times, with the building being destroyed and rebuilt at least eight times, as per the Institute for the Study of War. Ukraine actually carried out several across-boarder raids into the region, leading Russia to deploy several troops to the area to reinforce their attack. However, in August 2024, a video emerged showing the unit committing war crimes. Including the beheading of a captured Ukrainian soldier 鈥 a crime that prompted international outrage. The brigade also took part in the initial occupation of the Kyiv region, including Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel, where numerous war crimes against civilians were documented, including executions, torture, and rape. This news came shortly after Putin sent out a stark warning to the UK to cease any aid to Ukrainian troops. It also wants a halt to arms supplies in exchange for a potential end to the war. Rodion Miroshnik, a special envoy to Vladimir Putin’s foreign ministry, made the ultimatum clear. “The involvement or complicity of other countries is a crucial issue that must be stopped in all forms – including weapons deliveries and the training of Ukrainian militants,” Miroshnik stated. “All of this amounts to direct complicity in the conflict. “Halting these programmes would be a signal of willingness to seek a resolution.” For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletter by clicking here .