On July 3, Primorye region Governor Oleg Kozhemyako said that Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Mikhail Gudkov had died in Russia's Kursk region.
Governor Kozhemyako added that Gudkov's close friend, Nariman Shikhaliyev, had also died.
"I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family, friends and teammates of Mr. Mikhail Gudkov and Mr. Nariman Shikhaliyev and all other soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Kursk province," the Governor of the Russian Far East region wrote in a post on Telegram.
According to Mr. Kozhemyako, Major General Gudkov is a resilient warrior who constantly retreats to the positions of the marine forces even after taking on the position of Deputy Commander of the Russian Navy.
On the same day, the Russian Defense Ministry also confirmed that Major General Gudkov died during a combat mission in the border area of Kursk province on July 2.
Mr. Gudkov, 42 years old, participated in the special military campaign as commander of the 155th Marine Brigade from February 24, 2022. In March 2025, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Russian Navy.
President Vladimir Putin announced the appointment of Gudkov at a meeting with the crew of the Arkhangelsk nuclear-powered Submarine. The Russian leader then instructed Gudkov to be in charge of the entire Navy's marine force and all coastal artillery and missile artillery units.
