During the battles in Poznan, Soviet troops took 23 thousand German soldiers prisoner.

In the units and subdivisions of the Moscow Military District, in military educational institutions and officers' clubs on February 23, 1945, solemn evenings dedicated to the 26th anniversary of the Red Army were held. This is reported by the newspaper "Izvestia".

Meanwhile, the troops of the 1st Belorussian Front after a month-long siege and battles completely took possession of the city and fortress of Poznan - a strategically important node of German defense on the Berlin direction.

"During the fighting in Poznan, the front troops took 23,000 German soldiers prisoner and captured a large amount of weapons and military property. During February 23, southwest of Königsberg, our troops continued fighting to destroy the East Prussian grouping of the enemy and, tightening the ring of encirclement, seized six settlements", - stated in the newspaper report of February 23, 1945.

There were exactly 75 days left till the Great Victory.

All in all, 116 German tanks were hit and destroyed on all fronts on February 23. In air battles and anti-aircraft artillery fire 34 enemy airplanes were shot down.

The material was published as part of Izvestia's special project "80 Days to Victory".

All Izvestia articles from the Great Patriotic War can be found in the electronic archive.