During the battle of Stalingrad in Winter 1942/43 the young Russian soldiers Vassili Zaitsev is transported to the front. Soon the shepard boy from the Ural proves to be an excellent sniper. Political officer Danilov responsible for the front newspaper senses his chance. With his articles he turns Zaitsev into a hero, a role model for the pressured Russian troops, someone to give back hope to his countrymen. Zaitsev reluctantly acceps his role. His fame eventually reaches the German lines. Major Koenig, the best sniper of the Wehrmacht, is commissioned to Stalingrad in order to find and kill Zaitsev. Amidst the ruins of the city where both sides fight hard for every block and which has already become the symbol of Russia`s will to resist, the two men lay in wait for each other. Vassili becomes increasingly irritated and doubts that he will able to come up to the expections.