MOSCOW -- Major General Mikhail Gudkov, deputy head of the Russian Navy, has been killed in a Ukrainian strike in Russia's Kursk Region, the governor of the far eastern Primorye Territory said Thursday.

Calling Gudkov a "hero of Russia and hero of Primorye," Governor Oleg Kozhemyako said in a Telegram post: "I express my deepest condolences to the families, friends and fellow servicemen of Mikhail Gudkov, Nariman Shikhaliyev and all other fighters who were killed in the Kursk Region."

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed Thursday that Gudkov was killed in a combat mission in a border area of the Kursk Region on Wednesday.

Gudkov, 42, was appointed deputy commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy in March. He previously served as commander of the 155th Separate Guards Brigade of the Pacific Fleet Naval Infantry and participated in the special military operation starting on Feb 24, 2022.