Russian Army Major General Anton Grunis has been killed in Ukraine, Russian and Ukrainian media report.
The death of Grunis was confirmed by Apti Alaudinov, commander of the Akhmat special forces unit, although he did not provide details about the circumstances of his death.
“A real man, a real officer and a great patriot of his homeland,” Alaudinov wrote on Telegram.
Grunis was reportedly killed on the front line in Ukraine, possibly in the area of operations of the forces he commanded. The exact location and circumstances of his death have not been disclosed.
Grunis was awarded the title of Hero of Russia by President Vladimir Putin this summer after reporting to Putin on the capture of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast, which Russian forces have been trying to capture since October 2025. Putin awarded Grunis the Gold Star medal of the Hero of Russia, which was presented to him by Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov on August 27.
Astra reported that Grunis told Putin in July that the city had allegedly been fully occupied. A representative of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine later denied those claims.
Open-source information shows that Grunis graduated from the Kazan Suvorov Military School in 1996 before turning 17. Grunis’ military biography also includes service during the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. Russian-language biographical sources state that he participated in the war with Georgia. He also took part in the Chechen wars and later served in Syria, Crimea and Ukraine.