Triumph of the Red Army

By August 22, 1943, the Red Army had successfully re-occupied the city of Kharkov (present-day Kharkiv) from the German army, which marked a landmark victory for the Soviets. To hinder the Nazi army’s ability to plan a defensive strategy, the Red Army aimed to breach the Panther-Wotan line, a defensive barrier constructed by the Wehrmacht.

To achieve this goal, the Soviet Southern Front launched a strategic offensive operation that spanned a front of 300 km and focused on the Lower Dnieper region. As a result, the German 17th Army on the Crimean Peninsula was severed from its primary land escape route since the recently constructed fortified line was quickly overcome.