Russian general Lt Gen Yakov Rezantsev, who reportedly died on Saturday, is highest ranked officer to be killed, according to Ukraine’s defence ministry.
Experts said that low morale among Russian troops has forced senior officers closer to the front line.
Our security correspondent Frank Gardner said that the reported deaths could partly be a result of generals having to get close to the fighting to dislodge their troops from getting bogged down.
Russian military doctrine allows for almost no initiative among corporals and sergeants, with junior ranks always waiting for orders from above.
A retired British Army officer said the generals’ deaths also suggested a “highly successful sniper campaign which could degrade the Russian command structures.”
