​​​Dmitry Sergeyevich Zherebin was a Soviet military commander who played an important role in the final battles of the Second World War.

​He was born on 23 February 1906 in the village of Ustye in the Smolensk region of Russia. In 1926 he joined the Soviet Red Army and later graduated from the Frunze Military Academy, becoming a professional officer.

​During the Second World War, Zherebin served on several fronts and showed great ability as a commander. In 1944 he was given command of the 32nd Rifle Corps, part of the 5th Shock Army within the 1st Belorussian Front under Marshal Georgy Zhukov.

​His unit took part in the great Soviet offensive that pushed German forces back toward Berlin.

​In early 1945, Zherebin’s corps was ordered to capture the fortress city of Küstrin, which is Kostrzyn nad Odrą in Polish (located in western Poland). The city stood on the Oder River and was a major road and rail junction leading to Berlin. The battle was fierce and costly, as German troops defended every street and building.

​Zherebin organized his men carefully, using artillery and engineers to break through the defences and cross the river under heavy fire. By the end of March 1945, his soldiers had taken control of Kostrzyn and created a strong bridgehead on the western bank of the Odra (Oder in German). This position became one of the key staging areas for the final Red Army assault on Berlin.

​Zherebin’s leadership ensured that troops and supplies could cross the river safely, allowing the Red Army to continue its advance. For his successful command and courage in the battle for Kostrzyn, Dmitry Zherebin was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union in April 1945.

​After the war he remained in the army as a senior officer and instructor, helping to train new generations of soldiers. He retired with the rank of lieutenant general and died in 1982 in Moscow.​