Two abandoned Soviet KV-2 heavy tanks of the 8th Tank Division stand on the streets of Zholkva, Western Ukraine, in June 1941, during the opening weeks of the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
This photograph shows two KV-2 heavy tanks belonging to the 8th Tank Division of the Red Army, abandoned on a street in Zholkva during the fighting in June 1941. The image was taken during the rapid German advance in the opening stage of Operation Barbarossa.
Several details visible in the photograph suggest that the vehicles had already been taken out of action. Both turrets are turned into the travel position, and the machine guns are missing. The tanks were abandoned during the Soviet withdrawal, although the exact circumstances remain unknown.
The photograph documents the fate of two early-war KV-2 heavy tanks and illustrates the difficult conditions faced by Soviet armored units during the first weeks of the campaign.
Technical photo data
📝 Source of information: Unknown
📍 Location: Zholkva, Lviv Oblast, Western Ukraine, USSR
📅 Date of photo: June–July 1941
📷 Photographer: Unknown
Recommended literature
- Steven J. Zaloga — KV-1 & KV-2 Heavy Tanks 1939–45
- David Glantz — Barbarossa: Hitler's Invasion of Russia 1941
- Robert Forczyk — Tank Warfare on the Eastern Front 1941–1942
Tags
- KV-2 heavy tank
- 8th Tank Division
- Red Army
- Zholkva
- Operation Barbarossa
- June 1941
- Soviet armored forces
- Abandoned tanks
- Eastern Front
- World War II
- Soviet military vehicles
- Historical military photography