Key facts
- Russian Maj. Gen. Anton Grunis was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on Sept. 12, 2026.
- The strike occurred in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast.
- Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, confirmed Grunis's death.
- The 427th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade "Rarog" carried out the strike.
- Apti Alaudinov, commander of Russia's Akhmat special forces, also confirmed Grunis's death.
- Grunis was reportedly the seventh Russian commander at brigade, division, or army level killed by Ukrainian drone strikes.
Russian Major General Anton Grunis, commander of Russia's 4th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, was killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on Sept. 12, 2026, in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast. Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, confirmed the strike, stating that the 427th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade "Rarog" carried out the operation. Apti Alaudinov, commander of Russia's Akhmat special forces, also confirmed Grunis's death, according to Russian independent outlet Astra.
Grunis had previously briefed Russian President Vladimir Putin in July on Moscow's claimed capture of Kostiantynivka, a claim disputed by Ukraine's General Staff and President Volodymyr Zelensky. Brovdi noted that Grunis was reportedly the seventh Russian commander at brigade, division, or army level to be killed by Ukrainian drone strikes.
In other developments, an agent from the Ukrainian partisan group Atesh claimed to have sabotaged the power supply to an electronics plant in Voronezh, Russia, which produces components for Kh-101 and Iskander-K missiles, as well as Pantsir-S1 air defense systems. The group stated that restoring full power took several weeks, disrupting production.
A poll by the Gradus agency indicated that 40% of Ukrainians are prepared to relocate this winter if conditions deteriorate significantly, with safety being the primary concern. Most respondents would consider relocating within Ukraine rather than abroad.
Russian authorities are planning to build a new prison complex in occupied Kherson Oblast as part of a broader program to construct seven such facilities across Russia and occupied Ukraine by 2035. Additionally, Ukraine's Defense Ministry announced that 81 companies are now authorized to form private air defense units to protect civilian infrastructure and workers amid ongoing Russian attacks.