Ukraine Says It Killed Russian General Who Reported Kostiantynivka Capture to Putin

Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces said they killed Russian Major General Anton Grunis, commander of the 4th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces, in the temporarily occupied territory of Donetsk region, according to Ukrinform, a Ukrainian state news agency.

The report attributes the claim to the Unmanned Systems Forces, a branch of the Ukrainian military that specializes in drone warfare, and references statements from the unit's commander, who uses the callsign "Madyar."

According to Ukrinform, Grunis had previously reported to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the capture of Kostiantynivka, a town in Ukraine's Donetsk region that has been a focal point of fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces.

The claim regarding Grunis's death has not been independently verified. Russian authorities have not publicly commented on the reported death as of this report.

Kostiantynivka has been the site of prolonged combat as Russian forces have sought to expand control over the Donetsk region, part of a broader front in the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Ukrainian officials have periodically announced the deaths of senior Russian military figures during the course of the conflict, though such claims typically require independent confirmation.