Russian propaganda media report death of another Russian general in Ukraine
Russian propaganda sources report that Major General Anton Grunis, commander of Russia's 4th separate motorized rifle brigade, has died in the war against Ukraine, shortly after reporting to Vladimir Putin about the alleged capture of Kostiantynivka.
Another senior Russian military officer has reportedly died in the war against Ukraine — Major General Anton Grunis, commander of the Russian Armed Forces' 4th separate motorized rifle brigade. The report comes from several Russian media outlets, including propaganda agency Anna News, citing a source within the brigade, the Telegram channel "Suvorovskoye Bratstvo" (a community of Suvorov military school graduates), and independent Russian outlet ASTRA. The exact circumstances, date and location of the general's death have not been disclosed.
Recently awarded Russia's highest honor
Only on August 28, Russia's Defense Ministry announced that Defense Minister Andrei Belousov had awarded Grunis the country's highest state honor — the "Gold Star" of Hero of Russia — for "courage and heroism shown in the performance of military duty."
The unit under his command took direct part in the fighting for Kostiantynivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region, which Russian occupying forces have been trying to capture since October 2025. Back in July, Russia's General Staff and Grunis himself reportedly told the Kremlin leader that the city had been fully occupied, a claim that a spokesperson for Ukraine's Armed Forces General Staff denied.
Military career
According to open sources, Grunis graduated from the Kazan Suvorov Military School in 1996, before turning 17. He took part in the wars in Chechnya and against Georgia. In 2021 he retired from active service but returned to the Russian army after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Under his command, occupation forces operated in the Bakhmut and Kostiantynivka directions.
The 4th separate motorized rifle brigade he commanded was formed in 2014 on the basis of illegal armed formations of the so-called "Luhansk People's Republic," including the terrorist group "Prizrak." After these formations were integrated into Russia's regular armed forces, the brigade was placed under the 2nd Army Corps, and later became part of the newly formed 3rd Guards Combined Arms Army of Russia's Southern Military District.
