Russian general `blown up on mine` in Ukraine

A Russian general has been killed after being blown up on a mine in Ukraine, several pro-Kremlin sources say.

Maj-Gen Vladimir Zavadsky, 45, was deputy commander of the 14th army corps at the time of his death, they say.

At least six other Russian generals are thought to have died since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

There has been no word from the Russian Defence Ministry about the incident, and there are conflicting reports about where it happened.

The ministry has on several occasions previously made no mention of senior officers' deaths, even after close relatives have spoken publicly about them.

Reports say Maj-Gen Zavadsky was killed on Wednesday afternoon.

It is not clear where the incident took place, but it is thought his unit was in Kherson region at the time.

Before his current posting, he was commander of the elite Kantemirovsky tank division based outside Moscow.

If reports of Maj-Gen Zavadsky's death are confirmed, he will be the seventh Russian general known to have died in the conflict.

Four generals are confirmed to have died in the first four months of the war, and another two in the summer of this year.

Most recently Lt Gen Oleg Tsokov was killed in a strike on a hotel housing Russian military commanders in Berdyansk, on Ukraine's occupied southern coast.

Ukrainian sources have reported another seven deaths of Russian generals, but at least three of them have since been proven to be still alive.

Meanwhile as Ukraine faces Russian attacks over the winter on its infrastructure, US national security spokesman John Kirby said Washington was helping Kyiv strengthen its resilience.

The US was providing "defensive protection equipment", as well as backup equipment and supplies including high voltage auto transformers, industrial size gas generators and mobile off grid equipment to help people stay supplied with heat and electricity, he said.

Kirby said that Russian President Vladimir Putin seemed intent on continuing the conflict and on taking it directly to the Ukrainian people at the coldest time of year._Agencies.