He fought in the war in Donbas as a fire support officer and was killed during the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport.

Zubkov was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine and the Order of the Gold Star on 9 June 2015.

Zubkov became a deputy fire support company commander in the new 90th Separate Airborne Battalion of the 81st Airmobile Brigade.

[6][3] In 2015, Zubkov was awarded the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate's Medal for Sacrifice and Love for Ukraine.

[6] Zubkov was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Ukraine and the Order of the Gold Star on 9 June 2015 for his "exceptional courage, heroism and sacrifice, in the defense of national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Ukrainian state, and loyalty to the military oath.