Topline
Russian Major General Vladimir Frolov, deputy commander of the 8th Army, was buried Saturday after being killed in combat in Ukraine, Russian state media reported, which would make him the eighth Russian general killed in Moscow’s invasion, if Ukrainian claims are true.
A Ukrainian serviceman opens fire at a Russian drone with an assault rifle in the eastern part of … [+]
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
A funeral for Frolov was held at a cemetery in St. Petersburg, according to the Russian news agency TASS.
St. Petersburg Gov. Alexander Beglov said Frolov fought in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, TASS reported, without elaborating.
Some of the generals who were killed were veterans of Russian operations in Georgia and Syria, the Wall Street Journal reported, depriving the Kremlin of experienced leaders.
Key Background
As of the end of March, around 14 Russian generals and senior colonels had been claimed to be killed–a notable death toll likely to have disrupted Russia’s front-line operations. An unnamed Pentagon official said on March 25 that “it’s not surprising to us to see that there are [Russian] generals on the battlefield” and vulnerable to Ukrainian fire. The official said Russians “don’t delegate very well,” adding they “do not invest a lot of responsibility” in junior-level officers and “don’t have a non-commissioned officer corps.”
Further Reading
Russia Loses Another Major General in Ukraine Fighting (Wall Street Journal)
The Ukrainians Are Killing A Lot Of Russian Generals. It Won’t Help End The War. (Forbes)