Highlights
- Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky was the commanding general of the Russian 7th Airborne Division
- The deceased Russian general had fought with in Syria and Chechnya
- He had also taken part in the seizure of Crimea in 2014
A Russian general was killed in the fighting around Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, which Russian forces have been trying to seize since the invasion began, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency said.
It identified him as Maj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov, 45, and said he had fought with Russian forces in Syria and Chechnya and had taken part in the seizure of Crimea in 2014.
It was not possible to confirm the death independently. Russia has not commented.
Another Russian general was killed earlier in the fighting. A local officers’ organization in Russia confirmed the death in Ukraine of Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky, the commanding general of the Russian 7th Airborne Division.
Sukhovetsky also took part in Russia’s military campaign in Syria.
Meanwhile, Russia has surpassed Iran and North Korea as the most sanctioned nation after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It became the target of 2,778 new sanctions, amounting to a total of 5,530, according to a report by Bloomberg.
With Inputs From AP