Russian command chain severely disrupted, Putin lost 16 generals on the battlefield

(Patria) - According to data from the British Ministry of Defence (MoD), Russian President Vladimir Putin has lost 16 generals on the battlefield since the beginning of the war against Ukraine, writes HuffPost.

The MoD states that this loss has severely disrupted the command and control chain in certain parts of the Russian army.

In a report published over the weekend on platform X, the MoD highlights that two high-ranking generals were killed in 2025, and a total of five in the last 12 months.

"The loss of so many senior officers has likely disrupted command and control in parts of the Russian Armed Forces. This has likely contributed to Russia's tactical and operational difficulties during the conflict," the MoD believes.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 05 July 2025.

Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/2aG2RLTxbj#StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/UklHTPoSzb

— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) July 5, 2025

The latest general to fall is Major General Mikhail Gudkov, who was killed following a Ukrainian attack on a Russian command post on July 2 in the Kursk region of western Russia.

This is an area that Ukrainian forces suddenly occupied last August, and Russia claims to have re-established full control in April, while Ukraine insists that fighting is still ongoing.

According to the MoD, Gudkov was likely commanding attempts by naval infantry units to establish a buffer zone in Ukraine's Sumy region.

Russia's advance in that region has been slowed by Ukrainian counterattacks and significant Russian losses.

The MoD previously announced that the number of Russian military losses had exceeded one million since the beginning of the invasion in February 2022.

Despite heavy losses and Donald Trump's efforts to broker a peace deal, the Russian president refuses any long-term compromise on a ceasefire with Ukraine.

Just last month, Putin confirmed his continued desire to annex all of Ukraine, stating: "I have repeatedly said that the Russian and Ukrainian peoples are essentially one people. In that sense, all of Ukraine is ours."