Anton Grunis killed in drone strike in occupied Donetsk

Russian Major General Anton Grunis, commander of the 4th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, was killed on Saturday in a Ukrainian drone strike in the Russian-occupied part of Donetsk region, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces reported.

"General Grunis was eliminated on Saturday in his nighttime hideout in the temporarily occupied area of Donetsk region," said Robert "Magyar" Browdy, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces.

Browdy said the strike was carried out by drones from the 427th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade, known as "Rarog."

The death of Grunis was also confirmed by Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Russian special forces unit "Akhmat" and deputy head of the Main Directorate for Military-Political Work of the Russian Armed Forces. In a post on the Max platform, carried by Russian state media, Alaudinov said only that Grunis "has died a hero, fulfilling his sacred duty to the end."

Video released; fighting around Kostiantynivka continues

Video footage of the strike was published by Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces and later circulated on social platforms. The fighting for Kostiantynivka, a fortified Ukrainian town in Donetsk region, has continued since the summer.

In July Grunis personally informed Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russian forces had allegedly taken Kostiantynivka, a claim the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky rejected. Russian forces have continued operations to seize the town as part of their Donetsk offensive.

In 2023 Putin described Grunis as "a man with a Lithuanian surname, born in Kazan, who fights brilliantly." On 27 August, Russia's Defence Minister Andrej Beloshov awarded Grunis the medal "Golden Star" and the title Hero of Russia for what Moscow described as "bravery and heroism" during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Photo: printskrin / Tass