The death of the deputy commander of the Russian Navy has exacerbated the management crisis in the Russian fleet – British intelligence

The loss of generals, including senior Russian naval officers, is undermining the effectiveness of command and operational control at sea.

The UK Ministry of Defence said, said the death of Major General Mikhail Gudkov, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, was further evidence of the structural weakening of the fleet’s chain of command.

Gudkov died on 2 July in the Kursk region, becoming the second general to be killed in 2025 and at least the sixteenth since the start of the full-scale aggression against Ukraine.

“The loss of such a level of officers in both land and naval units is likely to have undermined the command system in some parts of the Russian armed forces,” British intelligence said in its review.

This, analysts say, is leading to a reduction in the effectiveness of combat control, including in the Black Sea, where the Russian fleet is already suffering serious losses from attacks by Ukrainian naval drones.

Gudkov was appointed to his position only in March 2025, and before that he commanded the 155th Marine Brigade, which is accused of war crimes against Ukrainian prisoners of war. His death is not just another loss, but a blow to the leadership of the fleet, which is already under pressure due to a lack of experienced officers and the loss of ships.

Recently, USM wrote that the invaders in Crimea are trying to sell the “nationalized” ports in Yalta and Yevpatoria.