Ukraine marks 75th anniversary of liberation from Nazis

All Ukrainians, who gave their lives fighting against Nazi invaders in the ranks of the Red Army or the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, are commemorated today.

In February 1943, carrying forward advance after the victory at Stalingrad, Soviet troops occupied Kharkiv and some other Ukrainian cities but left them already in March 1943 in consequence of the German counter-offensive. The ultimate expulsion of the Nazi invaders from the territory of Ukraine started only in the autumn of 1943. In 1944, a number of operations was carried out which enabled the four Ukrainian fronts to defeat the grouping of German troops "South" and Group "A" and to occupy almost the entire territory of Ukraine and Crimea.

Forcing the Nazis back from Zakarpattia region began on September 9, 1944, during the East Carpathian Strategic Offensive. On October 16, the Soviet troops conquered the town of Rakhiv. On October 24, the towns of Khust and Svaliava were liberated. Mukacheve was liberated on October 26, Uzhgorod — on October 27.

The established date of the liberation of Ukraine from the Nazi invaders is October 28, 1944. In fact, a town of Chop — an important railway junction on the border of Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region, Slovakia and Hungary — still remained occupied by the Germans.

On October 28, 1944, the Soviet troops approached Chop. After an all-day fierce battle, on October 29, the troops of the 17th Rifle Corps, 237th, 8th, and 138th rifle divisions liberated Chop. However, the Nazis launched a counteroffensive soon. Some districts of Chop passed from hand to hand several times. Chop was finally liberated on November 23, 1944.

Today it is the westernmost locality of Zakarpattia region and the entire territory of Ukraine. That is why this date is meant to be linked with the expulsion of the Nazi invaders from Ukraine within its present borders as Zakarpattia region of Ukraine had considered to be a territory of Czechoslovakia until 1945.

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