Soviet civilians, likely teenagers, executed by retreating German troops in Belarus. According to eyewitness testimony, the victims were taken from the village shortly before the German withdrawal and shot without explanation. Read more
Captured or abandoned Soviet KV-1 heavy tanks stand beside a dirt road during the opening months of Operation Barbarossa. Many early-war KV-1 losses resulted from combat, mechanical failures, or logistical difficulties. Read more
A Wehrmacht soldier stands beside a captured Soviet KV-1 heavy tank. The abandoned vehicle appears to be prepared for transport behind German lines for evaluation or possible reuse. Read more
Soviet troops ride on American M3 Lee medium tanks during the liberation of Vyazma. The tank's rubber-padded tracks, visible in the image, were less durable under Eastern Front conditions than all-steel tracks. Read more
Soviet flamethrower operator A.D. Puchkov fires at German troops entrenched on the ground floor of a ruined building during the Battle of Stalingrad. Read more
Kazakh officer Major Baltabek Zhetpysbayev and Guards Sergeant Trofim Shalayev operate a 122 mm M-30 howitzer during fighting in Lithuania. Their actions were later commemorated in a reconstructed wartime photograph. Read more
Soviet scouts Mikhail Yeremin and Seitkasim Ashirov of the 331st Rifle Regiment, 96th Rifle Division. Their successful raid behind German lines during Operation Bagration earned both men nominations for the title Hero of the Soviet Union. Read more