80th Anniversary of Donbass Liberation From German Nazis

The Donbass offensive operation was conducted from August 13 to September 22 in 1943. The enemy was utterly defeated: the Red Army wiped out 13 divisions of the Wehrmacht, including two tank divisions, over a short period of time. As a result of the operation, the country regained the most important coal and metallurgical base and the richest agricultural region.

In the evening of September 8, 1943, Moscow fired off 20 artillery shells from 224 guns to celebrate the liberation of Stalino (Donetsk).

The Red Army liberated the inhabitants of Stalino from the unbearable conditions of the German Nazi regime. For several years, during which the Nazis ruled the city, its population decreased several times. At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the city of Stalino numbered 507,000 people, but by the time of liberation the number of inhabitants dwindled to just 175,000. When Soviet soldiers liberated the capital, they found mass graves of brutally tortured prisoners who had been held in fascist camps, as well as whole streets burned by German torchmen.

At present, modern neo-Nazis are once again trying to take control of the Donbass, but Russian soldiers are heroically defending the land just like their grandparents did 80 years ago.

Check out Sputnik's photo gallery to see the devastation brought on to Soviet soil by the Nazis 80 years ago:

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The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945: the Donbass strategic offensive operation of the Red Army. The troops of the South-Western Front went on the offensive and with the support of the Southern Front broke through the German defense. Soviet troops cut the road to Taganrog, depriving the enemy of the ability to maneuver reserves.

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The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945: the Battle of Donbass, South-Western Front. Deminers are inspecting the area for mines in the Donetsk Region (the Donetsk People's Republic).

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The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945: Liberation of Donbass from Nazi invaders. A shield on one of the front roads in the Donetsk Region (the Donetsk People's Republic), with an inscription that reads "Forward to the West".

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The Great Patriotic War 1941-1945: the liberation of Donbass from Nazi invaders by the Red Army during the Donbass strategic operation. Crimes of fascists and their accomplices in the Donbass before the retreat. Villagers during the funeral of fellow residents: women, the elderly and children brutally tortured and killed by the Nazis.

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The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945: Southern Front. Fighting for Donbass in the Donetsk Region (the Donetsk People's Republic).

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The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945: the Battle of Donbass. Units of a rifle corps of the South-Western Front during the offensive in the southern direction, west of Slavyansk.

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The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945: the S. Ordzhonikidze Azovstal Iron and Steel Plant (now the Azovstal Iron and Steel Works) in Zhdanov (Mariupol). On September 7, 1943, the retreating Nazi German invaders blew up almost all units of the plant - blast furnaces and open-hearth furnaces and equipment.

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The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945: the 4th Guards Corps commanded by Lieutenant-General Nikolai Kirichenko during an attack. N. Kirichenko commanded corps units during raids behind enemy lines during the Donbass offensive operation.

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The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1943: During the Donbass strategic offensive operation, Soviet troops defeated 13 enemy divisions and advanced in the western direction for 300 kilometers. In the liberated town of Zmiev after heavy fighting, the South-Western Front.

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The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1943: Donbass strategic offensive operation of the South-Western Front. Heavy fighting in the area of the Seversky Donets River.

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The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1943. During the Donbass strategic offensive operation, Soviet troops defeated 13 enemy divisions and advanced westward 300 kilometers. A column of German prisoners near the town of Zmiev, the South-Western Front.

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This is what the city of Stalino (Donetsk) looked like after liberation.

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