---
title: "Death of General Grunis: 'Hero of Russia' who reported the capture of Konstantinovka to Putin is killed — city still not under Russian control"
description: "Russian Major General Anton Grunis, who received the title of 'Hero of Russia' after reporting to Putin the 'capture' of Konstantinovka, died on September 16, 2026. The city, whose 'capture' the general reported, remains an area of active fighting."
date: 2026-09-16T08:10:10.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/death-of-general-grunis-hero-of-russia-who-reported-konstantinovka-capture
tags: [russia-ukraine-war, konstantinovka, russian-military, hero-of-russia, donetsk-region, vvsu]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Death of General Grunis: 'Hero of Russia' who reported the capture of Konstantinovka to Putin is killed — city still not under Russian control

![General Grunis in a ceremonial military uniform with gold epaulettes against the Russian tricolor and a red service flag — a 'Hero of Russia' who reported the capture of Kostyantynivka](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/16/gibel-generala-grunisa-geroya-rossii-konstantinovka/gibel-generala-grunisa-geroya-rossii-konstantinovka-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Major General Anton Grunis, commander of the 4th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, died on September 16, 2026; this was announced by Apti Alaudinov
- Just weeks before his death, Grunis was awarded the title of 'Hero of Russia' after reporting to Putin the alleged 'capture' of Konstantinovka
- As of September 16, 2026, Konstantinovka is not under full Russian control and remains an area of active fighting
- Estimates of the degree of Russian control over Konstantinovka range from 'a small area' (DeepState) to 'approximately 50%' (Clément Molén)
- The exact circumstances of the general's death are not disclosed; Ukrainian sources report his elimination by Ukrainian Armed Forces

On September 16, 2026, it was reported that Russian Major General Anton Grunis, commander of the 4th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, callsign 'Groznny' (Fierce), had died. This was announced in his Telegram channel by Apti Alaudinov, Deputy Head of the Main Military Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces and commander of the 'Akmat' special forces unit, who stated that Grunis 'has passed into another world.' Information about the general's death was also spread by Russian Z-blogs and the community of graduates of the military school he attended. The exact circumstances and location of Grunis's death were not disclosed by either side at the time of publication.

### 'Golden Star' for Konstantinovka

Grunis's death gained significant resonance against the backdrop of the fact that just weeks before his death he had been awarded the title of 'Hero of Russia.' According to available data, in early July 2026 it was this very Major General who personally reported to Vladimir Putin the alleged 'capture' of Konstantinovka in Donetsk Oblast. It was after this report that he was awarded the highest military honor. Thus, less than two months passed between the awarding of the 'golden star' and the general's death — a period during which, according to the Ukrainian side, Konstantinovka was never placed under full control of Russian forces.

### Konstantinovka: between the report and reality

As of September 16, 2026, Konstantinovka in Donetsk Oblast remains an area of active combat operations and is not under full Russian control. According to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 18 attacks by Russian units were recorded on the Konstantinovka direction over the past 24 hours. The occupiers carried out assault operations in the areas of Konstantinovka and Ilyinivka, as well as in the directions of Osykove, Mykolaivka, Novohryhorivka, and Dolyha Balka. Ukrainian military previously reported that Russian units are attempting to penetrate the city through the flanks: some enemy groups had already entered Konstantinovka, however Ukrainian units continue to hold positions in the south, center, and north of the city, engaging in combat there. The Ukrainian side characterizes the situation as 'very difficult.'

### Contradictory data

Assessments of the degree of Russian control over Konstantinovka vary significantly depending on the source. French OSINT analyst Clément Molén estimated Russian control over the city at approximately 50 percent. At the same time, the DeepState map as of early September 2026 showed only a small area under Russian control, while designating a significant part of the city as a 'gray zone.' Thus, Grunis's report to Putin about the 'capture' of Konstantinovka in early July is not confirmed by any independent or Ukrainian source monitoring the situation on the ground. Moreover, there is a discrepancy in the wording of the causes of the general's death: the official Russian statement by Alaudinov uses the euphemism 'passed into another world' without indicating combat circumstances, whereas Ukrainian media outlets (in particular, KP.ua) directly report his elimination by Ukrainian Armed Forces and add the claim of 'a tip-off from his own side,' which has not been confirmed by either side with documentary evidence.

### Military context: Ukrainian offensive in Donetsk Oblast

Grunis's death comes against the backdrop of ongoing combat operations in Donetsk Oblast, where, according to Ukrainian sources, the Ukrainian Armed Forces managed to advance in several sectors over the preceding days. New details of the offensive operations by Ukrainian units in this region are emerging. The death of the general who reported the 'capture' of a city that was in fact not taken intensifies the discussion about the gap between the Kremlin's official military rhetoric and the real situation on the front.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [General who reported to Putin the 'captures' of Konstantinovka has been eliminated](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/likvidovano-generala-kiy-dopovidav-putinu-1789545973.html) - Подтверждает факт гибели Груниса, ссылается на пост Алаудинова в Telegram. Указывает на связь с докладом о Константиновке.
- [Hero of Russia General Grunis, who reported to Putin the capture of Konstantinovka, has died](https://www.trud.ru/article/16-09-2026/1837001_umer_geroj_rossii_general_grunis_dolozhivshij_putinu_o_vzjatii_konstantinovki.html) - Российское издание подтверждает смерть генерала и его статус «Героя России». Использует формулировку «умер» без указания на боевые обстоятельства.
- [General Anton Grunis, who reported to Putin the capture of Konstantinovka, died in war. The city is still ...](https://theins.ru/news/297174) - Подтверждает гибель в боевых условиях и акцентирует, что Константиновка до сих пор не под полным контролем РФ.
- ['Golden star' for a fake and a tip-off from his own side: how the Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminated Russian General Grunis](https://kp.ua/incidents/a736066-zolotaja-zvezda-za-fejk-i-navodka-ot-svoikh-kak-vsu-likvidirovali-henerala-rf-hrunisa) - Утверждает о ликвидации силами ВСУ и добавляет тезис о «наводке от своих», который не подтверждён другими источниками. Формулировка «фейк» по отношению к докладу о Константиновке является оценочной.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who is Anton Grunis and what position did he hold?
**A:** Anton Grunis, callsign 'Groznny' (Fierce), was the commander of the 4th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces in the rank of Major General. A few weeks before his death, he was awarded the title of 'Hero of Russia.'

### Q: Under what circumstances did General Grunis die?
**A:** The exact circumstances and location of Grunis's death were not disclosed at the time of publication. Alaudinov's Russian statement uses the euphemism 'passed into another world.' Ukrainian media report his elimination by Ukrainian Armed Forces, however additional details (including the claim of 'a tip-off from his own side') have not been documented.

### Q: Did Russia capture Konstantinovka, whose 'seizure' Grunis reported?
**A:** No. As of September 16, 2026, Konstantinovka remains an area of active combat operations. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, daily attacks are recorded on the Konstantinovka direction. Independent assessments (DeepState, Clément Molén) indicate that only part of the city is under Russian control, while a significant territory remains a 'gray zone.'

### Q: Who reported the general's death?
**A:** The first to announce Grunis's death was Apti Alaudinov — Deputy Head of the Main Military Political Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces and commander of the 'Akmat' special forces unit — in his Telegram channel. The information was also spread by Russian Z-blogs and the community of graduates of the military school.