Russia admits death of deputy commander 'blown up by one of Putin's own landmines'
Earlier news reports suggested that Major General Vladimir Zavadsky had been killed by a Russian landmine, but these have not been confirmed.
Major General Vladimir Zavadsky, the deputy commander of Russia's 14th Army Corps, has been killed in Ukraine, a Russian local official has confirmed.
Alexander Gusev, the governor of Russia's Voronezh region, reported the news on Telegram today.
Gusev said that Zavadsky had died "at a combat post in the special operation zone", but did not provide further details.
Earlier news reports suggested that Mr Zavadsky had been killed by a Russian landmine, but these have not been confirmed.
According to investigative news outlet iStories, Zavadsky is the seventh Major General whose death had been confirmed by Russia, and the 12th senior officer to have been reported dead since the start of the war overall.
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Deaths of senior Russian officers, which military analysts have in some cases put down to Ukrainian success in intercepting communications, have become become less common as the conflict has progressed.
Gusev said Zavadsky was a much-decorated officer and a former tank commander, and added that his death was a heavy loss that caused "piercing pain".
"Wherever the motherland sent him, he gave an example of dedication to duty, to which his many awards bear witness," he said.
The Russian defense ministry is yet to comment.
On a number of occasions the ministry has made no mention of senior officers' deaths, even after family members have spoken publicly about them.
Zavadsky had previously been commander of the elite Kantemirovsky tank division based outside the Russian capital Moscow.
The division was given the name after liberating the village of Kantemirovka, in Gusev's Voronezh region, from the Nazis in 1942 during its first-ever deployment.
It's thought this strong connection between the division and the region could be why Gusev decided to confirm his death.
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