The last one left: there are no more Heroes of the Soviet Union left in Ukraine - veterans of the Great Patriotic War

Belarusian blogger Andrey Chervonets said in his publication that on June 7, 2021, Major General of Aviation Mikhail Polikarpovich Karpeyev, the last of the World War II veterans who lived in Ukraine, who bore the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, passed away.

In total, 12 such veterans celebrated Victory Day this year, while in 2020 there were 21 of them.

Karpeyev was born in 1921, during the war with the rank of lieutenant, an attack pilot in the Il-2 squadron made more than 300 sorties, during which he personally destroyed about 200 Nazi soldiers, destroyed or damaged 15 tanks, as well as many other enemy equipment. He also took part in reconnaissance flights and in connection with partisans.

The title of Hero of the Soviet Union with the presentation of the Gold Star medal was awarded to him after the end of the war in May 1945. And in 1978, with the rank of colonel, Karpeyev went to the reserve and lived in Kharkov, and in 2005 he was awarded the rank of Major General of Aviation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Read more about the surviving veterans here.