The leader of Moscow-backed separatists in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region has confirmed reports that another senior Russian military commander, Major General Roman Kutuzov, was killed by Ukrainian forces during clashes with Russian troops.
Denis Pushilin, the head of a separatist group in Donetsk, wrote on Telegram on June 7 that "today we are bidding farewell" to Kutuzov, who was killed during fighting in the Luhansk region, parts of which is also controlled by separatists.
Two days earlier, several pro-Kremlin journalists reported that Kutuzov was killed near the village Mykolayivka in the Popasna district of the Luhansk region.
That information has yet to be confirmed by either Ukrainian or Russian authorities.
Aleksandr Sladkov, a reporter at Russia's State Television and Radio Corporation, said Kutuzov was the fourth Russian general killed since Moscow launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Russia has released little information over casualties from the fighting, but several independent media reports have said the number of senior Russian armed officials killed in Ukraine is much higher.
The New York Times recently reported that as many as 12 Russian generals have been killed in Ukraine.
