NKVD Soldier Examining the Wreckage of a Downed German Junkers Ju 88 Bomber Near Moscow, 1941

October 17, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

A young NKVD soldier inspects the wreckage of a downed German Junkers Ju 88 bomber near Moscow, 1941.

WWII photo showing a young NKVD soldier inspecting the wreckage of a downed German Junkers Ju 88 bomber near Moscow in 1941.

This World War II photograph captures a young soldier of the Soviet NKVD troops examining the interior of a destroyed German Junkers Ju 88 bomber, which had been shot down near Moscow in 1941. The curious soldier peers through a shell hole torn by anti-aircraft fire in the aircraft’s aluminum fuselage — a silent testament to the fierce air battles that raged over the Soviet capital during the early months of the German invasion.

The Junkers Ju 88 was one of the Luftwaffe’s most versatile aircraft, used both as a bomber and reconnaissance platform. Many of these planes participated in long-range missions over the Moscow region during Operation Barbarossa, often encountering the growing strength of Soviet air defenses. By late 1941, German air superiority was steadily eroding, and scenes like this — wrecked bombers scattered across Russian forests — became increasingly common.

The image was taken by Margaret Bourke-White, one of the pioneering LIFE magazine photographers and among the first Western journalists to document the Eastern Front. Her photos reveal not only the devastation of modern warfare but also the resilience and curiosity of Soviet soldiers amid the wreckage of the enemy’s once-feared machinery.

Technical photo data:

📍 Location: Moscow region, USSR
📅 Date: 1941
📝 Event: NKVD soldier inspects wreckage of downed German Junkers Ju 88 bomber
📷 Author: Margaret Bourke-White