Russian General Died in Ukraine Weeks After Claiming Fake Victory in Donetsk

Major General Anton Grunis, who commanded the 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade and recently claimed that Russian troops had captured Kostiantynivka, has died in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to ASTRA.

On August 27, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov awarded the 48-year-old officer the "Gold Star" Hero of Russia medal "for courage and heroism displayed in the performance of military duty."

Information regarding the officer's death was shared on September 14 by the Telegram channel "Suvorov Brotherhood," which posted a photo of Grunis alongside news of a fallen alumnus who completed his studies in 1996 at age 16.

In early July, Russian state media stated that Grunis personally informed Russian President Vladimir Putin about taking control of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

Following those claims, Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov announced full control over the area on July 4, though the Russian Defense Ministry reported that fighting in the settlement was still ongoing later that morning.

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War in Ukraine

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Zelenskyy and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine denied the claims, with Zelenskyy offering to meet Putin directly in Kostiantynivka if Russian forces had actually taken the town.

Russia had entered the spring of 2026 expecting a major battlefield breakthrough, but six months later, that breakthrough had failed to materialize.

Over the course of the spring and summer campaigns, Moscow lost more than 200,000 troops and was unable to mount a single successful mechanized assault.

While Russian forces gained almost no territory, Ukrainian troops successfully repelled every attack using drones and coordinated defenses, eventually liberating 745 square kilometers in the south.

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