Key Facts
- Dates
- 24 January – 16 February 1944
- Duration
- 24 days
- Soviet forces involved
- 1st and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts
- German formation encircled
- Elements of Army Group South
- Key outcome
- Near-total loss of German heavy weaponry in the pocket
Strategic Narrative Overview
On 24 January 1944, the 1st Ukrainian Front under Nikolai Vatutin and the 2nd Ukrainian Front under Ivan Konev launched converging attacks, closing a pocket around German units near the Dnieper. German forces inside attempted a breakout while armored relief columns fought from outside. Weeks of attritional combat followed as Soviet forces worked to reduce the encirclement, repelling relief efforts and tightening the ring around the trapped Germans.
01 / The Origins
By late 1943, Soviet forces had crossed the Dnieper River and were pressing German Army Group South along a broad front in Ukraine. A German salient near Korsun–Shevchenkovsky presented an opportunity for the Red Army to cut off and destroy a large enemy grouping. The Soviet high command, emboldened by growing materiel support from Allied Lend-Lease deliveries — particularly trucks and halftracks — planned a double envelopment to trap the German forces.
03 / The Outcome
The battle ended on 16 February 1944 with a Soviet victory. Encircled German troops who attempted a final breakout suffered catastrophic losses, abandoning nearly all heavy equipment. Though the German front did not collapse entirely, Army Group South emerged severely weakened. The battle validated Soviet deep operations doctrine and established a pattern of mobile offensive encirclements that the Red Army would repeat for the remainder of the war on the Eastern Front.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Nikolai Vatutin, Ivan Konev.
Side B
1 belligerent
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.