Alelyukhin provided air cover during the Soviet occupation of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina during June and July 1940, still with the 69th Fighter Aviation Regiment. The regiment was equipped with Polikarpov I-16 fighters. On 22 June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. Bessarabia was now on the front line at Alelyukhin fought in the defense of Bessarabia. From early August, Alelyukhin flew with the regiment in the Siege of Odessa. On 2 September, he was slightly wounded by shrapnel in the back and arm. On 8 September, Alelyukhin received a promotion to Lieutenant. He was awarded his first Order of the Red Banner on 5 November. During the fall, the regiment received Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighters.