She was posthumously awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union on 8 April 1942[1] for killing herself to avoid being captured and interrogated by the Germans after running out of ammunition.

Since she was a nurse she had to beg her commander to let her participate in the ambush, during which they hid in roadside bushes, waiting for a German army vehicle to approach.

As the vehicle drew near, several members of the regiment attacked while Petrova threw a grenade in front of the car so the riflemen could fire on the occupants.

From August to the beginning of October the detachment laid mines on the Tolmachevo - Osmino and Luga - Lyady roads, damaged the Tolmachevo-Mshinskaya railroad tracks, and shot down four aircraft.

Heavily outnumbered, most of the partisans were killed while fleeing the area, but Petrova picked up a machine gun and began firing on the enemy combatants until she was low on ammunition.