The Ministry of Defense declassified documents about the Yelnya operation in 1941

On the 85th anniversary of the start of the Yelnya offensive, the Russian Ministry of Defense published declassified archival documents, including directives from the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, combat orders from Marshal Georgy Zhukov, and award lists for heroes. The materials are published on the thematic section of the website of the military department.

"In numerous battles for our Soviet Homeland against the Nazi hordes of nazi Germany, the 100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st Rifle Divisions showed examples of courage, bravery, discipline and organization. In difficult conditions of struggle, these divisions repeatedly inflicted severe defeats on the German fascist troops," says the order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR dated September 18, 1941.

The Yelnin operation began on August 30, 1941 and became the first large-scale counteroffensive of the Red Army since the beginning of the war. By the summer of 1941, the German Army Group Center had captured the city of Yelnya, forming a bridgehead that threatened Moscow. To eliminate the salient, the 24th Army was formed under the command of Major General Konstantin Rakutin, and Georgy Zhukov was appointed commander of the Reserve Front.

According to the published documents, the forces of the parties were approximately equal: the Wehrmacht had about 70 thousand people and 40 tanks, the Soviet troops had about 60 thousand fighters and 800 guns. The Red Army used its superiority in artillery as effectively as possible. On the morning of August 30, heavy artillery preparation began, after which the troops went on the offensive. The enemy put up fierce resistance, but by September 4, the Soviet units had deeply engulfed the main German forces. On the night of September 5, the German command began withdrawing troops, and on September 6, the Red Army liberated Yelnya.

During the fighting from August 30 to September 6, the losses of the Wehrmacht in manpower, according to historical data, amounted to more than 45 thousand people killed and wounded, several infantry divisions were defeated. The published documents also contain evidence of the atrocities of the occupiers — the shooting of civilians, including children, and the transformation of hospitals into stables.

The highest assessment of the feat of Soviet soldiers was the awarding of the honorary title of Guards to four rifle divisions — the 100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st. They became the first guards formations in the history of the Red Army. On September 26, the 107th and 120th divisions joined them. Among the heroes of the operation are the commander of the 24th Army, Major General Konstantin Rakutin, who was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously, as well as Colonels Ivan Nekrasov and Matvey Batrakov, who were awarded the Golden Star for the battles near Yelnya. The publication of declassified documents is aimed at protecting historical truth and countering attempts to revise the results of the Great Patriotic War.

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On August 21, the FSB declassified materials from the time of the Battle of Kursk, one of the key battles of the Great Patriotic War. The released documents revealed details of the construction of a strategic railway line, as well as the work of counterintelligence agents to identify and detain enemy agents. The Battle of Kursk lasted for 50 days— from July 5 to August 23, 1943. After the defeat of the 6th German Army at Stalingrad, the Red Army liberated Stary Oskol, Kursk, Belgorod and Kharkov, but in March 1943, German troops regained control of Kharkov and Belgorod.