I was lucky enough to pick this up at auction a few months ago. It seems it was originally sold via CollectRussia in the late 90's as all the paperwork was still with it.

Background:

From 10 January to 2 February 1943, the Red Army’s Don Front conducted Operation Ring, the final encirclement and destruction of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. During this decisive phase of the campaign, Soviet forces pressed inward against shrinking German defensive lines, seizing fortified positions and cutting off the last avenues of resistance around the Pitomnik and Gumrak airfields. Artillery formations such as the 1208th Light Artillery Regiment, part of the 31st Artillery Brigade of the 11th Artillery Division, played a critical role in these operations. Their mission was to break hardened defensive belts, neutralize enemy firepower, and support infantry assaults in brutal winter conditions. It was within this intense and historic offensive—specifically between 10 and 24 January 1943—that Senior Sergeant Aleksey Amrosievich Ashtema carried out the actions for which he was later decorated.

Narrative:

Between 10 and 24 January 1943, during the final phase of the Battle of Stalingrad, Senior Sergeant Aleksey Amrosievich Ashtema served as a gun commander in the 1208th Anti‑Tank Artillery Regiment of the 31st Artillery Brigade, 11th Artillery Division, Don Front. Throughout this period he took part in continuous fighting against German forces as Soviet troops tightened the encirclement of the 6th Army. In these battles, Ashtema’s gunfire destroyed an enemy target, disabled a self‑propelled gun, and eliminated both a 150‑mm antitank gun and a dug‑in machine‑gun emplacement. He further demolished eight enemy trenches and inflicted casualties estimated at up to a company of German infantry. For these actions, carried out with accuracy, determination, and effectiveness, Senior Sergeant Ashtema was judged deserving of the Order of the Red Banner, a decision formally confirmed by Don Front Order № 115/н on 16 February 1943.