Putin hit by new blow as top Russian general killed by Ukraine in counteroffensive
Vladimir Putin has faced a fresh blow after one of his generals was killed during Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces
Reuters
Vladimir Putin has faced a fresh blow after one of his generals was killed during Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russian forces.
Major-general Sergey Goryachev died while fighting in the Zaporizhzhia region, where Ukrainian forces have been retaking some territory.
Goryachev was chief of staff of the Russian 35th Combined Arms Army and is one of 11 generals to be officially classed as casualties in the war.
Yesterday pro-Moscow war correspondent Yuri Kotenok wrote: "War takes the best. The army lost one of the brightest and most effective military leaders, who combined the highest professionalism with personal courage.
An aerial view shows destructions in the frontline city of Bakhmut in Ukraine’s Donetsk region
Reuters
"Combat friends express their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased."
Various pro-war military channels have admitted Putin’s soldiers are taking a hit now that Kyiv’s counter-offensive has begun.
This includes Kotenok who said Russia's forces were facing "heavy fighting along almost the entire line of military contact".
Earlier this morning Russia was hit with a major explosion at an oil refinery inside its borders in the city of Krasnodar.
The city is a key link in Putin’s war effort and a centre for supplying occupied Crimea.
The suspected drone attack was reported by local Kuban News, which said more than 130 firefighters were called to the scene.
Ukrainian official Serhiy Lysak confirmed that at least three people were killed and 25 wounded this morning in a Russian missile attack in President Volodymyr Zelensky’s hometown – the city of Kryvyi Rih.
Lysak, who is head of the regional administration, said that rescue missions are still ongoing.
A view shows smoke rising as Ukrainian forces destroy Russian equipment near Bakhmut
Reuters
On Friday, Putin insisted that "all counter-offensive attempts made so far have failed" but he did add that the "offensive potential of the troops of the Kyiv regime" still exists.
Yesterday, Ukraine claimed it had regained three villages in what it describes as its first victories since the counter-offensive began.
However, while the capture of the three villages marks the biggest advance in recent days, the settlements are relatively small.