Russian army disaster as entire command of 'elite' Guards brigade wiped out

The entire command of Russia's elite 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade has been wiped out, according to a military blogger. The elite brigade unit has been involved in heavy fighting across eastern Ukraine, as well as in Kursk.

It has suffered massive casualties and has had to be reconstituted numerous times since the onset of full scale hostilities in February 2022. The US-based Institute for the Study of War concluded the Kremlin has rebuilt the unit at least eight times in just over three years.

The brigade would appear to have suffered another disastrous battlefield setback, as it continues its deployment in Ukraine.

A furious Russian military blogger claimed that HIMARS wiped out the brigade's entire command in a precision attack.

In a video posted to social media, he fumed: "Nobody's telling us that the entire command of the 155th brigade got f***ing wiped out because four HIMARS hit the target dead-on.

"Because our electric warfare systems ain't working. That's the kind of bullsh*t we're dealing with guys."

The unit was involved in the costly and brutal battle for the fortress town of Vuhledar in southern Donetsk region in the spring of 2023.

At one point the brigade was reported to be losing up to 300 marines a day in the ferocious battle.

A surviving marine who spoke with the 7x7 regional news site said the losses were so severe that only eight men remained in one landing assault company.

"I wish I had been taken prisoner and never returned," he added, complaining about the officers' treatment of their soldiers.

It comes as a former commander of the brigade was killed during "combat work" in the western Kursk region of Russia.

Major General Mikhail Gudkov was appointed deputy head of the Russian Navy in March by Vladimir Putin.

His death is one of the most high-profile losses for Moscow since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

He was killed in a missile strike near the town of Korenevo, around 30km (19 miles) from the border with Ukraine.