Military & Defense

A third Russian general has been killed as the war intensifies, Ukraine claims

A Russian tank destroyed by Ukrainian fighters lies at the side of the road in the Lugansk region of Ukraine.
A Russian tank destroyed by Ukrainian fighters lies at the side of the road in the Lugansk region of Ukraine. ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images.
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Ukrainian defenders have killed a third top Russian general as Russia's more than two-week war with Ukraine intensifies, the Armed Forces of Ukraine said on Friday. 

Ukraine's military said in a tweet that they killed Russian Maj. Gen. Andrey Kolesnikov, believed to be the commander of the 29th Combined Arms Army. 

"The Russian invaders continue to lose their officers in the war against Ukraine," Ukraine's armed forces tweeted as it announced the general's purported death. 

 

Multiple journalists reported on Friday that anonymous Western officials confirmed a third Russian major general was killed amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Ukrainian forces have taken out two other top Russian generals since Russia invaded the eastern European country on February 24. The toll of these battlefield commanders suggests the heavy toll that's being taken by the frontline troops they command. The US, by contrast, lost only one general in its entire 20-year war in Afghanistan.

This story is developing. Please check back for updates.

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Natalie Musumeci
Natalie is a senior reporter on Business Insider's Business News team covering the AI and data center boom.She was previously on BI's Legal Affairs team, where she handled major cases coming out of state and federal court, as well as bankruptcy. Her coverage often focused on stories at the intersection of law, business, politics, and technology. Natalie has covered Donald Trump’s criminal and civil cases, the wave of lawsuits against the second Trump administration, the indictment and criminal trial of Sean “Diddy” Combs, the shooting death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, and the legal battles facing Elon Musk and his companies. Natalie came to Business Insider in June 2021 as a breaking news reporter, focusing on the most interesting angles on the day's trending news. Natalie largely drove BI’s coverage around the fatal “Rust” shooting involving Alec Baldwin and the disappearance and murder of Gabby Petito.Prior to joining BI, Natalie worked for the New York Post, the New York Daily News, and The Brooklyn Paper. She has an extensive background covering crime and courts. During her more than 12-year journalism career, she did a stint covering the police beat out of the New York Police Department's headquarters. Natalie, a Brooklyn native, graduated from Brooklyn College in 2012 with a degree in journalism.