He became a junior officer of the Red Army and fought in the Battle of Stalingrad as well as in the successful campaigns to retake Ukraine and Belarus from the German army.
Dia menjadi perwira junior di Tentara Merah dan ikut bertempur dalam Pertempuran Stalingrad serta dalam operasi militer yang sukses untuk merebut kembali Ukraina dan Belorusia dari tentara Jerman.