The next morning , at 3:58 , German forces invade the Soviet Union . The fortress is subjected to heavy bombardment by German artillery and Stuka aircraft , killing many Soviet soldiers and civilians . At 6:30 , German infantry attack the fortress , capturing hospital staff and patients , many of whom they kill . Fomin takes command of the defenders around the Kholm Gate , while Gavrilov rallies the defenders around the Eastern Fort . Elsewhere , NKVD border guards under command of Lieutenant Kizhevatov , repel a German sortie into the fortress and Vainshtein thwarts a German commando 's attempt to undermine the defense of the 132nd Independent NKVD Convoy Battalion barracks . As the siege commences , Sasha finds himself stranded in one of the barracks . During the fighting for the East Fort , Junior Lieutenant Andrey Akimov ( brother of Sasha ) is killed while destroying two Panzer IIIs with a 45 mm anti-tank gun , helping Gavrilov repel a German attack
many of whom they kill
War crimes of the Wehrmacht
Fortress of War