🌟 #OTD 80 years ago, the capital of Soviet Moldavia Kishinev was liberated from Nazi occupation by the troops of the 3rd Ukrainian Front.
⚔️ On the night of 23 August 1944, Soviet troops completed the encirclement of the enemy’s grouping of 18 divisions near Kishinev. On the next day, 24 August 1944, the troops of the 5th Shock Army led by General N.Berzarin broke into the city and purged it.
🔻 Сommander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, General F.Tolbukhin, issued an ultimatum to the 3rd Romanian Army and the 9th German infantry division calling on the enemy to surrender. On the 24th and the 25th August 1944, Romanian and German soldiers ceased their resistance.
🕯 During the 3 years of Kishinev’s occupation, some 20.000 residents were murdered. In the Kishinev ghetto 9.000 – 13.000 prisoners were kept. When the Red Army entered Kishinev, only 6 survivors were found in ghetto.
#WWII #Victory79 #WeRemember
⚔️ On the night of 23 August 1944, Soviet troops completed the encirclement of the enemy’s grouping of 18 divisions near Kishinev. On the next day, 24 August 1944, the troops of the 5th Shock Army led by General N.Berzarin broke into the city and purged it.
🔻 Сommander of the 3rd Ukrainian Front, General F.Tolbukhin, issued an ultimatum to the 3rd Romanian Army and the 9th German infantry division calling on the enemy to surrender. On the 24th and the 25th August 1944, Romanian and German soldiers ceased their resistance.
🕯 During the 3 years of Kishinev’s occupation, some 20.000 residents were murdered. In the Kishinev ghetto 9.000 – 13.000 prisoners were kept. When the Red Army entered Kishinev, only 6 survivors were found in ghetto.
#WWII #Victory79 #WeRemember
🛳 94 years ago, #OTD in 1930, Soviet polar expedition on the steamer icebreaker “Georgy Sedov” discovered the western coasts of Severnaya Zemlya (Northern Land) in Russia’s high Arctic.
The expedition led by Soviet scientist Otto Schmidt traveled 10.000 km and implemented a vast research program.
🌍 The northern part of the Kara Sea as well as Wiese, Isachenko, Voronin islands, and Sedov archipelago were first explored.
#RussiaInArctic
The expedition led by Soviet scientist Otto Schmidt traveled 10.000 km and implemented a vast research program.
🌍 The northern part of the Kara Sea as well as Wiese, Isachenko, Voronin islands, and Sedov archipelago were first explored.
#RussiaInArctic
🌟 81 years ago, #OTD in 1943, Smolensk was liberated from Nazis as part of the Smolensk Strategic Offensive codenamed “Suvorov”
The operation was carried out by the troops of the Soviet Western Front supported by partisan units.
⚔️ The enemy put up strong resistance trying to hold an important transport junction and besides the town where Army Group “Centre” headquarters were located from the Autumn of 1941. But the Red Army’s pincer attack from the south and front strikes from the northeast decided the town’s fate. On 25 September 1943 a red banner was hoisted over the hotel “Smolensk”.
▪️ Smolensk was under Nazi occupation over two years - from 16 July 1941 till 25 September 1943.
🕯 During that period 135.000 of 157.000 Smolensk residents were exterminated by Nazi punitive forces. 870 of 900 industrial enterprises in Smolensk region were destroyed.
⚔️ With the liberation of Smolensk, a bridgehead was created for further offensive in Belorussia within “Bagration” operation of 1944.
☝️ The whole world witnessed courage and commitment of Soviet soldiers whereas the Western allies realized, the Red Army would reach the Atlantic ocean unless they open the Second Front in Europe.
#WWII #WW2 #WeRemember #Victory79
The operation was carried out by the troops of the Soviet Western Front supported by partisan units.
⚔️ The enemy put up strong resistance trying to hold an important transport junction and besides the town where Army Group “Centre” headquarters were located from the Autumn of 1941. But the Red Army’s pincer attack from the south and front strikes from the northeast decided the town’s fate. On 25 September 1943 a red banner was hoisted over the hotel “Smolensk”.
▪️ Smolensk was under Nazi occupation over two years - from 16 July 1941 till 25 September 1943.
🕯 During that period 135.000 of 157.000 Smolensk residents were exterminated by Nazi punitive forces. 870 of 900 industrial enterprises in Smolensk region were destroyed.
⚔️ With the liberation of Smolensk, a bridgehead was created for further offensive in Belorussia within “Bagration” operation of 1944.
☝️ The whole world witnessed courage and commitment of Soviet soldiers whereas the Western allies realized, the Red Army would reach the Atlantic ocean unless they open the Second Front in Europe.
#WWII #WW2 #WeRemember #Victory79
📆 #OTD 80 years ago the East Carpathian Offensive of the Red Army and the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps against German-Hungarian forces during #WW2 finished
▫️ In summer of 1944, Soviet troops reached the foothills of the Carpathians and encountered enemy’s defence-in-depth.
The Red Army units were exhausted during the battles of the western Ukraine. Soviet command thoroughly prepared further operations, given the mountainous terrain and Nazi fortification system.
⚔️ In the meantime, Slovak national uprising against the country’s fascist government began in late August 1944. The leadership of the uprising appealed to the Soviet Union for help.
☝️ In order to support the people of Slovakia, the Stavka decided to attack immediately directly across the Carpathians.
⚠️ As a result of the operation, Soviet troops concluded the liberation of Ukraine and gained control over the Dukla Pass in eastern Slovakia creating bridgehead for the liberation of Czechoslovakia in May 1945.
However, the Red Army couldn’t break through to the Slovak rebel forces and the uprising was suppressed by Nazis.
#WWII #WeRemember #Victory79
▫️ In summer of 1944, Soviet troops reached the foothills of the Carpathians and encountered enemy’s defence-in-depth.
The Red Army units were exhausted during the battles of the western Ukraine. Soviet command thoroughly prepared further operations, given the mountainous terrain and Nazi fortification system.
⚔️ In the meantime, Slovak national uprising against the country’s fascist government began in late August 1944. The leadership of the uprising appealed to the Soviet Union for help.
☝️ In order to support the people of Slovakia, the Stavka decided to attack immediately directly across the Carpathians.
⚠️ As a result of the operation, Soviet troops concluded the liberation of Ukraine and gained control over the Dukla Pass in eastern Slovakia creating bridgehead for the liberation of Czechoslovakia in May 1945.
However, the Red Army couldn’t break through to the Slovak rebel forces and the uprising was suppressed by Nazis.
#WWII #WeRemember #Victory79
📆 #OTD in 1941, the Battle of Moscow commenced – one of the biggest battles in the history of the Great Patriotic War.
Ordinary Muscovites and students of military schools stood up to defend the city alongside Red Army soldiers. No other capital resisted Hitler's advance so fiercely.
⚔️ Nazi Germany and its allies planned to defeat the USSR in accordance with the Barbarossa Plan, which aimed to inflict a crushing defeat on the Red Army within a few months using blitzkrieg tactics. According to Barbarossa Plan, Moscow was to be captured by the 40th day after the invasion, with three to four months allotted for the complete elimination of resistance in the occupied Soviet territories.
▪️ By the end of September 1941, the Nazi forces occupied the Baltics, Belarus, Moldavia and a substantial part of Soviet Ukraine, besieged Leningrad and approached Moscow.
☝️ Given the strategic and political importance of the Soviet capital, Hitler committed significant forces to assault: 1.8 million troops, 1,700 tanks, and around 1,000 aircraft.
▪️ Under those circumstances, the State Defence Committee declared a state of siege in Moscow and adjacent areas that had not been captured by the enemy. Intense preparations for street fighting began, and the most important government and industrial facilities were mined.
❌ Hitler’s plan envisaged the capture of Moscow within the first three to four months and the complete destruction of its population. The selfless resistance of the Red Army units, militia and cadets prevented these plans from coming to life. The Soviet forces held back around twenty German divisions in fierce battles that raged for two weeks, which made it possible to reinforce the defence line and move the reserves to Moscow.
In early December, when the Wehrmacht forces were largely depleted, the Red Army was able to launch a counteroffensive, rout the assault units of the Army Group Centre and remove the threat hanging over the capital.
❗️ The success of the Soviet forces in the Battle of Moscow shattered the myth of the Third Reich’s invincibility, foiled Nazi blitzkrieg plans, and deterred the Japanese government, which was already preparing troops to invade the Soviet Union, from joining the war on Germany’s side. This marked Hitler’s first major defeat in World War II.
#BattleOfMoscow #WeRemember #Victory79 #WWII #WW2
Ordinary Muscovites and students of military schools stood up to defend the city alongside Red Army soldiers. No other capital resisted Hitler's advance so fiercely.
⚔️ Nazi Germany and its allies planned to defeat the USSR in accordance with the Barbarossa Plan, which aimed to inflict a crushing defeat on the Red Army within a few months using blitzkrieg tactics. According to Barbarossa Plan, Moscow was to be captured by the 40th day after the invasion, with three to four months allotted for the complete elimination of resistance in the occupied Soviet territories.
▪️ By the end of September 1941, the Nazi forces occupied the Baltics, Belarus, Moldavia and a substantial part of Soviet Ukraine, besieged Leningrad and approached Moscow.
☝️ Given the strategic and political importance of the Soviet capital, Hitler committed significant forces to assault: 1.8 million troops, 1,700 tanks, and around 1,000 aircraft.
▪️ Under those circumstances, the State Defence Committee declared a state of siege in Moscow and adjacent areas that had not been captured by the enemy. Intense preparations for street fighting began, and the most important government and industrial facilities were mined.
❌ Hitler’s plan envisaged the capture of Moscow within the first three to four months and the complete destruction of its population. The selfless resistance of the Red Army units, militia and cadets prevented these plans from coming to life. The Soviet forces held back around twenty German divisions in fierce battles that raged for two weeks, which made it possible to reinforce the defence line and move the reserves to Moscow.
In early December, when the Wehrmacht forces were largely depleted, the Red Army was able to launch a counteroffensive, rout the assault units of the Army Group Centre and remove the threat hanging over the capital.
❗️ The success of the Soviet forces in the Battle of Moscow shattered the myth of the Third Reich’s invincibility, foiled Nazi blitzkrieg plans, and deterred the Japanese government, which was already preparing troops to invade the Soviet Union, from joining the war on Germany’s side. This marked Hitler’s first major defeat in World War II.
#BattleOfMoscow #WeRemember #Victory79 #WWII #WW2
📆 110 years ago, #OTD in 1914, Yuri Levitan was born, a primary Soviet radio announcer
🎙He is remembered to have read the Soviet Information Bureau messages about the start of the war with Germany and the victory over Nazis. He voiced information bulletins from the fronts during all four years of fighting. Soviet marshals said his voice had the power of a military division.
👉 Yuri Levitan was rumoured to be in the Third Reich’s enemies list under № 1, while Stalin was listed 2nd. 250.000 Deutschmarks were promised for killing Levitan, and a special SS unit was planning a diversion in Moscow to eliminate the radio presenter.
#OutstandingRussians #Victory79
🎙He is remembered to have read the Soviet Information Bureau messages about the start of the war with Germany and the victory over Nazis. He voiced information bulletins from the fronts during all four years of fighting. Soviet marshals said his voice had the power of a military division.
👉 Yuri Levitan was rumoured to be in the Third Reich’s enemies list under № 1, while Stalin was listed 2nd. 250.000 Deutschmarks were promised for killing Levitan, and a special SS unit was planning a diversion in Moscow to eliminate the radio presenter.
#OutstandingRussians #Victory79
#OTD in 1942, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) was formed, a nationalist & collaborationist organization controlled by Nazi Germany.
⬛🟥 The UPA is remembered alongside Gestapo for mass murders of Polish, Jewish and Ukrainian population. Dozens of thousands people, predominantly civilians, perished at the hands of UPA militants as evidenced by numerous remaining documents.
❗The UPA is responsible for the Volyn Massacre of 1943-1945 – mass murders of the population of Polish ethnicity in Western Ukraine during which some 50,000 – 60,000 Poles were shot, burnt and beheaded.
In the present-day Ukraine, the date of foundation of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army is established as a state holiday – Defender of Ukraine Day, while the UPA leaders Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevich are praised as national heroes. This is all you need to know about the current political regime in Ukraine.
#WW2 #WWII #InconvenientTruth #WeRemember
⬛🟥 The UPA is remembered alongside Gestapo for mass murders of Polish, Jewish and Ukrainian population. Dozens of thousands people, predominantly civilians, perished at the hands of UPA militants as evidenced by numerous remaining documents.
❗The UPA is responsible for the Volyn Massacre of 1943-1945 – mass murders of the population of Polish ethnicity in Western Ukraine during which some 50,000 – 60,000 Poles were shot, burnt and beheaded.
In the present-day Ukraine, the date of foundation of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army is established as a state holiday – Defender of Ukraine Day, while the UPA leaders Stepan Bandera and Roman Shukhevich are praised as national heroes. This is all you need to know about the current political regime in Ukraine.
#WW2 #WWII #InconvenientTruth #WeRemember
📆 #OTD 80 years ago the Red Army troops and the National Liberation Army of #Yugoslavia liberated Belgrade from Nazis during the #Belgrade Strategic Offensive.
In September 1944, USSR and Yugoslavia agreed on the entry of Soviet troops in Belgrade and joint actions against Hitlerites.
⚔️ As part of the operation, in October 1944 allied forces breached enemy’s defence in Serbian Carpathians, encircled and defeated the main forces of the German Army Group “Serbia”.
🌟 On 20 October 1944, liberation of north-eastern & eastern parts of Yugoslavia as well as the capital itself was completed.
❗️ Enemy's losses amounted up to 45000 dead & captured prisoners-of-war. The success of the offensive made it possible for the Liberation Army to purge the rest Yugoslavia from the Nazis on its own.
#WW2 #WWII #WeRemember #Victory79
In September 1944, USSR and Yugoslavia agreed on the entry of Soviet troops in Belgrade and joint actions against Hitlerites.
⚔️ As part of the operation, in October 1944 allied forces breached enemy’s defence in Serbian Carpathians, encircled and defeated the main forces of the German Army Group “Serbia”.
🌟 On 20 October 1944, liberation of north-eastern & eastern parts of Yugoslavia as well as the capital itself was completed.
❗️ Enemy's losses amounted up to 45000 dead & captured prisoners-of-war. The success of the offensive made it possible for the Liberation Army to purge the rest Yugoslavia from the Nazis on its own.
#WW2 #WWII #WeRemember #Victory79
🌟 87 years ago, #OTD In 1937, the famous ruby stars were lit over the Kremlin in Moscow – the same ones that can be seen today. They replaced the previous stainless steel stars decorated with Ural semi-precious stones which lost their luster.
✨ The new stars shined for real. Specially designed lamps with double filaments were installed in each, so if one burns out, the lamp continues to be illuminated. At the base of each star a bearing was mounted, so the huge objects - each weighing a ton - could rotate like weather vanes.
The Kremlin stars have been extinguished only twice. During the Great Patriotic War the lights were turned off so Nazi planes couldn’t detect the Kremlin. The second time: Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov asked special permission to turn them off so he could film a scene from his “The Barber of Siberia” movie in the Kremlin.
#moscow #kremlin #russia
✨ The new stars shined for real. Specially designed lamps with double filaments were installed in each, so if one burns out, the lamp continues to be illuminated. At the base of each star a bearing was mounted, so the huge objects - each weighing a ton - could rotate like weather vanes.
The Kremlin stars have been extinguished only twice. During the Great Patriotic War the lights were turned off so Nazi planes couldn’t detect the Kremlin. The second time: Russian director Nikita Mikhalkov asked special permission to turn them off so he could film a scene from his “The Barber of Siberia” movie in the Kremlin.
#moscow #kremlin #russia
🗓Today marks the Day of Military Honour of Russia. #OTD 83 years ago, the historic military parade was held on the Red Square in the face of the Nazis advance to Moscow, when the front line was only a few dozen kilometres away from the city.
The march involved some 28,500 servicemen, as well as 140 artillery pieces, 160 tanks, and 232 vehicles.
☝This event boosted the morale of Soviet soldiers throughout the Soviet Union. It showed the world how truly unbreakable the spirit of the Soviet people was. The participants of the parade went directly to the front after it.
⚔ A month later, the “invincible” Wehrmacht suffered its first major defeat, and Hitler’s ambitious blitzkrieg plan against the Soviet Union was thwarted.
#WW2 #WWII #Victory79
The march involved some 28,500 servicemen, as well as 140 artillery pieces, 160 tanks, and 232 vehicles.
☝This event boosted the morale of Soviet soldiers throughout the Soviet Union. It showed the world how truly unbreakable the spirit of the Soviet people was. The participants of the parade went directly to the front after it.
⚔ A month later, the “invincible” Wehrmacht suffered its first major defeat, and Hitler’s ambitious blitzkrieg plan against the Soviet Union was thwarted.
#WW2 #WWII #Victory79
📆 19 November 1942 marked turning the tide of the Battle of Stalingrad.
#OTD Soviet troops of the South-Western, the Don and the Stalingrad fronts after numerous clashes with invaders inside the city commenced a counter-offensive codenamed “Uranus.”
The operation was drawn up by the renowned Soviet generals of #WW2 Alexander Vasilevsky and Georgy Zhukov.
⚔️ After thorough artillery shelling, the Red Army attacked from the northwest and the south with both army groups meeting in the area of Kalach-on-the-Don. This resulted in encirclement of the Nazi 6th Army led by Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus and both Axis-allied Romanian armies.
⚔️ Soviet command believed that Nazis had up to 100,000 troopers deployed at Stalingrad whilst Wehrmacht forces amounted to some 300,000 making the enveloped enemy’s grouping much stronger than it had been considered. Therefore, a separate military operation “Ring” was later developed aimed at liquidation of the encircled forces.
☝️ As a result of the Stalingrad offensive, 2 German armies were annihilated with 2 Romanian and 1 Italian armies crushed leading to the decisive Soviet victory in the Battle of Stalingrad and the beginning of a major turnaround during WW2.
🌟 To commemorate Soviet artillery’s great contribution to the successful outcome of the operation, 19 Nov was established as the Day of Missile Forces and Artillery.
#Victory79 #WeRemember #BattleofStalingrad #WW2
#OTD Soviet troops of the South-Western, the Don and the Stalingrad fronts after numerous clashes with invaders inside the city commenced a counter-offensive codenamed “Uranus.”
The operation was drawn up by the renowned Soviet generals of #WW2 Alexander Vasilevsky and Georgy Zhukov.
⚔️ After thorough artillery shelling, the Red Army attacked from the northwest and the south with both army groups meeting in the area of Kalach-on-the-Don. This resulted in encirclement of the Nazi 6th Army led by Field Marshal Friedrich Paulus and both Axis-allied Romanian armies.
⚔️ Soviet command believed that Nazis had up to 100,000 troopers deployed at Stalingrad whilst Wehrmacht forces amounted to some 300,000 making the enveloped enemy’s grouping much stronger than it had been considered. Therefore, a separate military operation “Ring” was later developed aimed at liquidation of the encircled forces.
☝️ As a result of the Stalingrad offensive, 2 German armies were annihilated with 2 Romanian and 1 Italian armies crushed leading to the decisive Soviet victory in the Battle of Stalingrad and the beginning of a major turnaround during WW2.
🌟 To commemorate Soviet artillery’s great contribution to the successful outcome of the operation, 19 Nov was established as the Day of Missile Forces and Artillery.
#Victory79 #WeRemember #BattleofStalingrad #WW2