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Vladimir Putin honored him just weeks before Ukrainian forces killed him.
High-profile achievements on the battlefield can change a soldier’s career overnight.
Medals are handed out, titles are awarded, and praise echoes all the way to top decision-makers.
But in modern warfare, high visibility often carries a very heavy price.
Nighttime strike
Mere weeks after being awarded Russia’s top military honor, the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine (USF) managed to kill the Russian Major General Anton Grunis in a night raid.
USF commander Robert “Madyar” Brovdi announced the successful operation on social media, where he also shared details about how the drone forces managed to take out the high-profile target.
Anton Grunis was the commander of Russia’s 4th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade. Ukrainian forces hit his hideout on September 12, 2026, in the Donetsk region.
The precision attack was carried out by the 427th Separate Brigade, an elite drone unit called Rarog.
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A quiet payback
The operation came weeks after Russian leader Vladimir Putin publicly praised General Grunis. Putin had personally honored the commander after Grunis reported that Russian forces had captured the city of Kostiantynivka.
Following that report, Kremlin officials awarded Grunis the prestigious Hero of Russia title.
“A man with a Lithuanian surname, born in Kazan, is fighting brilliantly,” Putin said at the time, praising the general’s performance in Donetsk.
Brovdi offered a direct response to those Kremlin comments while confirming the commander’s death.
Seven commanders down
“As a person with a Hungarian surname, born in Ukraine and fighting with the Birds for our homeland, I report out loud: General Grunis was eliminated by the ‘awards’ unit of the Birds’ retaliation team of the Unmanned Systems Forces on September 12, 2026, in his nighttime hideout in the Russian-occupied part of the Donetsk region,” Brovdi confirmed.
According to Brovdi, Grunis is the seventh high-ranking Russian commander killed by Ukraine’s drone forces. The eliminated leaders include brigade, division, and army commanders.
“This time, the Birds of the 427th Separate Brigade of the Unmanned Systems Forces, Rarog, carried out the operation with precision. Thank you for your dedicated service and heroic fight, Birds! We will stand. Moscow will fall,” Brovdi said.
