Russian Major General Roman Kutusov was killed in Donbas, as per Russian state media. He was in charge of the ‘DNR’ collaborative forces, as reported by Kyiv Indepedent’s Illia Ponomarenko. 

This marks another instance where a high-profile Russian official has lost their life. Moscow, battling troop resentment and low morale, has resorted to a number of tactics to draw more volunteers. This includes increasing the amount it pays to join the military and removing an upper age limit for sign-ups. 

As per reports, Kutusov died near Popasna, in the Luhansk Oblast. Part of Russia’s new push has been to try and enter through Donbas, the separatist region that Moscow recognized as independent before launching its “special military operation“. 

When he was a colonel, he was in charge of the 38th Separate Communications Regiment of the Russian Airborne Forces. Kutusov also acted as the commander of the 5th Combined Arms Army in 2017 and was the interim commander of the 29th Combined Arms Army in 2019. In 2020, he was the chief of staff of the 29th Combined Arms Army. 

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Kutusov was also a decorated member, receiving the Order of Kutuzov and Order of Courage, as well as Order of Military Merit. He also received a medal – which was a relic of the Soviet era – for courage and valour. 

With Russia losing several high-ranking officials, Moscow is planning on bolstering troops. The attack on Ukraine has seen Russia gain significant traction in the south, and it has kept hammering from the east. However, Ukraine is also pushing back, often using geography and the lay of the land to their advantage to bottle the Russian movement, before launching a counter-offensive. 

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Since NATO has now started sending more complex weaponry to Ukraine, the war-torn nation has a better chance of defending itself against Russia.