Vasily Afonin

{{Short description|Soviet flying ace (1919–1996)}}

{{use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}

{{Infobox military person

|name = Vasily Maksimovich Afonin

|image = Vasily Maksimovich Afonin.jpg

|native_name = Василий Максимович Афонин

|birth_date = 10 February 1919

|birth_place = Mostovaya village, Tula Governorate, RSFSR

|death_date = 4 January 1996 (aged 76)

|death_place = Moscow, Russian Federation

|rank = Major

|battles =

{{tree list}}

• World War II
• Winter War
• Eastern Front

{{tree list/end}}

|serviceyears = 1938–1955

|allegiance = {{USSR}}

|branch = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Soviet Air Force.svg}} Soviet Air Force

|awards = Hero of the Russian Federation

}}

Vasily Maksimovich Afonin ({{langx|ru|Васи́лий Макси́мович Афо́нин}}; 10 February 1919 – 4 January 1996) was a Soviet flying ace who fought in the German-Soviet War. He also participated in the Winter War of 1939–1940. During the German-Soviet War he fought with the 72nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, flying at various times the LaGG-3, Yak-1, Yak-7, Yak-9 and Yak-3.

Retiring at the rank of major, Afonin was officially credited with 14 personal and 3 shared victories over the course of 487 sorties.{{Cite book|last=Bykov|first=Mikhail|title=Все асы Сталина. 1936 - 1953 гг|publisher=Yauza|year=2014|isbn=978-5-9955-0712-3|location=Moscow|pages=69–70|language=ru}}{{Cite web|last=Simonov|first=Andrey|author-link=Andrey Simonov|title=Афонин Василий Максимович|url=http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=12757|access-date=2020-08-21|website=www.warheroes.ru}}