Post #28374

#Victory81 🥇#OTD8️⃣3️⃣ years ago, during the Voroshilovgrad Offensive Operation – Operation “Skachok” (Gallop) – the Red Army liberated Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk) from Nazi invaders. Founded by Empress Catherine II in 1795, Voroshilovgrad was one of the largest industrial centres of Donbassby the start of the Great Patriotic War. The city supplied the front and rear not only with ammunition, but also with coal, steel and other strategically vital resources for the country’s defence. By autumn 1941, the Nazis had occupied almost the entire territory of the Ukrainian SSR – yet they failed to capture Voroshilovgrad. The defenders of Lugansk land stood strong – their courage made it possible to evacuate around 150 enterprises, nearly all agricultural machinery and substantial food reserves to the rear. Despite fierce fighting, the city fell in July 1942. Seven long months – 212 days – of occupation followed: terror, executions and destruction. However, the enemy could not break the spirit of resistance. Sabotage and partisan operations thwarted the Nazis’ plans and they failed to restart a single enterprise or mine in the region. ⚔️ After the decisive victory at Stalingrad, the strategic initiative passed to the Red Army. The Supreme High Command set a clear task – to build on the success, break into Donbass and advance towards the Dnieper. Under the command of Colonel GeneralNikolai Vatutin, the liberation of Voroshilovgrad was carried out from two directions. Soviet forces encircled the main units of Army Group “Don”, depriving the enemy of the ability to establish a stable defence. 💬 On 16 February 1943, Krasnaya Zvezdadescribed the defeat of German forces near Voroshilovgrad: The German garrison included large infantry formations, tanks and specialised troops – not only battle-worn divisions but also strong reserves. The offensive began with the seizure of small bridgeheads on the right bank of the Seversky Donets. After powerful artillery preparation, rifle units launched simultaneous attacks along several sectors. Advancement developed methodically. By the third day, most of the eastern defensive sector had been cleared. German infantry retreated hastily towards the city, leaving rearguards along the Lugan River. Fierce resistance unfolded in the streets. A struggle for every fortified position ensued. Soviet assault groups, advancing systematically, encircled enemy strongpoints and eliminated their garrisons – clearing neighbourhood after neighbourhood. Heavy losses in manpower and equipment significantly weakened the Voroshilovgrad grouping. The tempo of Soviet operations increased, pressure intensified, and enemy counterattacks grew weaker and less frequent. A series of new blows decided the outcome of the battle. On 14 February 1943, troops of the South-Western Front completely cleared the city of German forces. Lieutenant Colonel Nikolai Rusakov, commander of the 1005th Rifle Regiment, raised the Red Banner at the Lenin monument on Revolution Square. More than 10,000 Red Army soldiers gave their lives for the city’s liberation. At the site of the fiercest fighting and the mass grave of Soviet warriors – Ostraya Mogila – a memorial was erected in 1945 to a design by sculptor Vera Mukhina. In 2023, it underwent large-scale reconstruction by the Russian Military-Historical Society on the instructions of the Russian President. Today, the memorial complex unites the memory of four generations of heroes – from the Civil War of 1917-1922 to the present struggle against Ukrainian neo-Nazism. 🇷🇺Eternal memory and glory to the defenders of Donbass! #WeRemember