Belov was drafted into the Red Army during World War II in 1942. Late that year he saw his first combat at Rzhev, going on to fight in the Battle of Smolensk in 1943 and Operation Bagration in 1944. He participated in the capture of Orsha, Vitebsk, Kaunas, and the crossing of the Neman during the latter. At Orsha, after a machine gun broke down, Belov and several other soldiers rolled out a cannon and used it against German troops in direct fire mode. In another battle, he was reported to have been wounded in the head by a splinter, but did not leave the battlefield. He received the Order of Glory, 3rd class for his actions on 2 May, while a sergeant leading a squad of the 1st Battalion, 346th Rifle Regiment in the 63rd Rifle Division. For his actions between 15 and 19 July during Operation Bagration, Belov was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd class, on 22 August; by this time he had become an assistant platoon commander and been promoted to senior sergeant.
