A senior Russian army leader has been killed during fighting in Ukraine this week.

       Andrei Sukhovetsky, the deputy commander of Russia’s 41st Combined Arms Army of the Central Military District, was reportedly killed on Wednesday.

       Vladimir Putin confirmed that a general had been killed in a speech updating the Russian people on the progress of the conflict this afternoon, eight days into the deadly invasion.

       Sergey Chipilev, a deputy of the Combat Brotherhood Russian veterans group, wrote on social media: "With great pain, we learned the tragic news of the death of our friend, Major General Andrey Sukhovetsky, on the territory of Ukraine during the special operation. We express our deepest condolences to his family.”

       Russian newspaper Pravda, which reported his death, said Mr Sukhovetsky graduated from the Ryazan Higher Airborne Command School in 1995, having started as a platoon commander before rising to chief of staff of the Guards airborne assault unit.

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       Christo Grozev, executive director of investigative journalism website Bellingcat, tweeted that confirmation of his death would be a “major demotivator” for the Russian army.

       Major General Andrei Sukhovetsky

       (Alamy Stock Photo)

       Russia claims 498 of its soldiers have been killed in Ukraine and another 1,597 have been wounded.

       However British officials say the actual number of those killed and wounded will almost certainly be considerably higher and will continue to rise.

       More follows...