Russian general killed in occupied Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine's drone forces say

Russian Major General Anton Grunis, the commander of Russia's 4th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, was killed in a Ukrainian drone attack in the temporarily occupied Donetsk Oblast on September 12, 2026, according to Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces. General Grunis was targeted in his nighttime hideout during the strike conducted by the 427th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, or Rarog.

Neither the Kyiv Independent nor Apti Alaudinov, Russia's Akhmat special forces commander, could independently verify the details of General Grunis' demise. Russian independent outlet Astra reported that General Grunis' death was confirmed by Russia's Main Military-Political Directorate. In July, Grunis had met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the alleged capture of Kostiantynivka, a key city in Donetsk Oblast.

However, Ukraine's General Staff and President Volodymyr Zelensky disputed this claim, maintaining that Russian forces had not taken the city. Tensions over Kostiantynivka have persisted, with Russian forces striving to capture it as part of their ongoing offensive in Donetsk Oblast. On August 27, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov honored Grunis with the Gold Star and the title of Hero of Russia for his bravery during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Grunis was the seventh Russian commander, from brigade, division, or army level, whose death had been verified by Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces. On September 14, Russian media claimed that Lieutenant General Sergei Milchakov, commander of Russia's 51st Combined Arms Army, had also been killed in a Ukrainian strike on a command post in occupied Donetsk Oblast. However, Russia has not officially confirmed Milchakov's death.