Soviets Defeat Germans at Vitebsk in Summer of 1944 WWII

Battle of Vitebsk

The Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive (Russian: Витебско-Оршанская наступательная операция) was part of the Belorussian Strategic Offensive of the Red Army in summer 1944, commonly known as Operation Bagration. During the offensive, Soviet troops captured Vitebsk and Orsha. A Soviet breakthrough during the offensive helped achieve the encirclement of German troops in the subsequent Minsk Offensive.