He was admitted to the Soviet Army as a cadet of the command staff of the 4th Separate Pontoon Bridge Regiment (Kaunas) in November 1940, where he served until June 1941. V. Kuzhelev was at the front from the first day of the Great Patriotic War up to the Battle of Berlin. He served as a chemical engineer of the 50th Separate Pontoon-Bridge Battalion on the North-Western Front from June 1941 to November 1945; Petty Officer of the company of the 7th Separate Pontoon-bridge Brigade; Clerk of the 138th Separate Pontoon-bridge Battalion of the 7th Separate Pontoon-bridge Brigade on the 1st Belorussian Front and a Group of Soviet Troops in Germany. Quote from the award list of May 14, 1945: "Repeatedly performed combat missions to force water barriers, being a model of courage and heroism. He especially distinguished himself when building a pontoon bridge over the Odrindnander-Spree canal in the Grube area on the night of April 17-18, 1945. By personal example of courage and bravery, he inspired the soldiers of his unit to heroic feats in the name of the fastest task completion. Under artillery, mortar and small-arms fire of the enemy with his unit built a pontoon bridge to promote the rapid ferry for the troops advancing to the center of Berlin." In November 1945, he was demobilized. He worked for the Ministry of Interal Affairs since August 1948 as an inspector of the accounting Department of the Mogilev School for Retraining Sergeants of the Corps State Security of the USSR on transport. By order of the Ministry of State Security of the USSR in December 1949 S. Kuzhelev received the rank of Second Lieutenant. Later he served there as a senior inspector of the training Department, Head of the Special Office, Deputy Head of the Course for Political Affairs, Senior Inspector of the Personnel Department, Head of the Course. V. Kuzhelev in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the police was dismissed to the reserve of the Soviet Army due to long service on April 2, 1972. Awarded the Order of the Red Star (1945), medals For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 (1945), For the Liberation of Warsaw (1945), For the Capture of Berlin (1945), 30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy (1948), 50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR (1967), For Valiant Labor, In commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of V. Lenin (1970).