Major General Mikhail Gudkov, deputy head of the Russian Navy and a former commander of a marine brigade fighting against Ukraine, has been killed in action, depriving Moscow of one of its most senior officers,

Major General Mikhail Gudkov, a deputy commander of the Russian navy praised and promoted by Russia's president was killed "during combat work in one of the border districts of Kursk region", the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

A view shows a scene of an explosion in which, according to Russia's investigative committee, Russian general Igor Kirillov, in charge of nuclear protection forces, and his assistant were killed, in Moscow,