The Commander of the Southwestern Front, this Ukranian General was killed during the Battles in the Kiev Pocket. He died 70 years ago today. Here is the wiki article on him: Mikhail Kirponos - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia A Russian website maintains he was killed by shrapnel during the breakout.
Glantz in Barbarossa on page 132 says Having lost all communications with its subordinate armies, Kirponos's headquarters and accompanying 5th Army troops managed to reach Driukovshchina Farm , 15km (9 miles) southwest of Lokhvista late on 20 September. There, the 3rd Panzer Division attacked the column , capturing General VN Sotensky , the 5th Army's artillery commander, and driving the remainder of the column into nearby Shumeikovo Woods. Kirponos , Potapov , their principal staff officers and about 2000 troops fought on for several hours , but Kirponos, Tupikov and many others perished and Potapov and the remaining forces fell captive to the Germans.
