Mikhail Ilyich Surkov ( rus, Михаил Ильич Сурков; 1921 – 1953) was a Soviet

sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...

in the 4th Rifle Division of the Red Army during World War II. He was born in a Siberian town of Bol'shay Salyr' next to Krasnoyarsk and hailed from a family of hunters and fur-trappers. According to some Soviet newspapers, Surkov had 702 confirmed kills during World War II, a total which would make him the most effective sniper of the European conflict.Mark Spicer and Pat Farey, ''Sniping: An Illustrated History.'' Grand Rapids, MI: Zenith, 2009; pg. 129. The top Soviet sniper is officially Ivan Sidorenko, who is credited with 500 confirmed kills, as postwar findings have shown that Surkov's figure very likely only served as propaganda.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Surkov, Mikhail Ilyich 1921 births 1953 deaths Sniper warfare Soviet military snipers Soviet military personnel of World War II Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Medal "For Courage" (Russia)