Russian general who briefed Putin on Kostiantynivka ‘capture’ is killed
Maj. Gen. Anton Grunis, commander of the Russian army’s 4th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, was killed in Russia’s war against Ukraine shortly after he briefed Russian dictator Vladimir Putin about the purported “capture” of Kostiantynivka, Russian propaganda outlet Anna News reported.
Maj. Gen. Anton Grunis, commander of Russia's 4th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the supposed "capture" of Kostiantynivka. The news outlet Anna News broke the story, but the exact date and location of Grunis' death remain undisclosed. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Aug.
28 that Defense Minister Andrey Belousov had bestowed upon Grunis the top state honor, the Gold Star of the Hero of Russia, for demonstrating bravery and heroism in his military duties. Grunis' brigade had been actively engaged in the conflict for the city in Donetsk Oblast, a territory Russia had been attempting to seize since October 2025.
Grunis had informed Putin via a July meeting that the city had allegedly been fully under Russian control. However, a Ukrainian General Staff representative later debunked these claims. Grunis was a distinguished graduate of the Kazan Suvorov Military School in 1996, having fought in the Chechen and Georgian conflicts. He later rejoined the Russian military in 2021 following the onset of the full-scale Ukrainian invasion.
The 4th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, under Grunis' command, had been operating in the Bakhmut and Kostiantynivka sectors. On Sep. 14, multiple Russian media reported that Ukraine's Defense Forces might have killed Russian Lt. Gen. Sergei Milchakov, who led the operations to take Avdiivka and other sites in Donetsk Oblast.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
