Order of the Day, November 6, 1943

Addressed to Army-General Vatutin

At dawn to-day, November 6, troops of the First Ukrainian front, as a result of a vigorously effected operation and daring outflanking manœuvre, captured by storm the capital of the Soviet Ukraine, the city of Kiev—the largest industrial centre and most important strategical centre of German defence on the right bank of the Dnieper. With the capture of Kiev our troops have seized the most important and most advantageous bridgehead on the right bank of the Dnieper, which is of great importance for driving the Germans from the territory of the Ukraine west of the Dnieper.

In the fighting for the liberation of the city of Kiev the following troops distinguished themselves: Troops commanded by Colonel-General Moskalenko, Lieutenant-General Chernyakhovsky, tank troops commanded by Lieutenant-General Rybalko, airmen commanded by Lieutenant-General of Aviation Krassovsky and artillery commanded by Major-General of Artillery Korolkov. Particular distinction was won by the 167th Sumy Infantry Division (Major-General Melnikov), twice awarded the Order of the Red Banner; the 232nd Sumy Infantry Division (Major-General Ulitin); 340th Sumy Infantry Division (Colonel Zubarev); 163rd Romny Infantry Division (Colonel Karlov); 240th Infantry Division (Colonel Umansky); 136th Infantry Division (Colonel Puzikov); 180th Infantry Division (Major-General Shmelev); the First Independent Czechoslovak Brigade in the U.S.S.R. (Colonel Svoboda); 74th Infantry Division (Colonel Kuznetsov); 23rd Infantry Division (Lieutenant-Colonel Shcherbakov); 30th Infantry Division (Colonel Yankovsky); 218th Infantry Division (Major-General Sklyarev); 121st Rylsk Infantry Division (Major-General Ladygin); 141st Infantry Division (Colonel Rassalikov); 226th Glukhov Infantry Division (Colonel Petrenko); 5th Stalingrad Guards Tank Corps (Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Kravchenko); 7th Guards Tank Corps (Major-General Suleikov); 291st Voronezh Attack Air Division (Colonel Votruk); 202nd Middle Don Bomber Air Division (Colonel Nechipurenko); 4th Attack Guards Air Division (Major-General of Aviation Baidukov); 264th Attack Air Division (Lieutenant-Colonel Klobukov);

256th Fighter Air Division (Colonel

Gerassimov); 8th Red Banner Fighter Air Division (Lieutenant-Colonel Chubikov); 208th Red Banner Night Short- Range Bomber Air Division (Colonel Yuzeyev); 10th Stalingrad Guards Fighter Air Division (Colonel Sryvkin); 235th Stalingrad Fighter Air Division (Major-General of Aviation Lakeyev); 17th Artillery Division (Major-General of Artillery Volkinshtein); 13th Artillery Division (Major-General of Artillery Krasnokutsky); 3rd Mortar Guards Division (Colonel Kolessnikov); 112th Red Banner Artillery Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Tsessar); 805th Howitzer Regiment (Major Teterin); 12th Independent Mortar Brigade (Lieutenant-Colonel Nemov); 9th Anti-Tank Guards Artillery Brigade (Lieutenant-Colonel Chernov); 491st Mortar Regiment (Major Plakhunov); 492nd Mortar Regiment (Major Glushchenko); 222nd Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Major Kodyakov); 316th Anti-Tank Guards Artillery Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Korozin); 868th Red Banner Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Major Chekh); 1,666th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Major Berezin); 1,075th Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Major Andreyev); 4th Red Banner Guards Anti-Tank Artillery Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Ponomartsev); 24th Guards Artillery Brigade (Colonel Brazgold); 60th Independent Spotter Air Squadron (Captain Rastorguyev); 811th Independent Reconnaissance Artillery Battalion (Captain Barinov); 8th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division (Colonel Emelyanov); 21st Anti-Aircraft Artillery Division (Colonel Gudkov); 268th Independent Engineering Battalion (Captain Chechishvili); 7th Independent Engineering Battalion (Major Zhukov); 1,505th Independent Engineering. Battalion (Major

Artemyev); First Artillery Guards Brigade (Colonel Kers); 65th Guards Mortar Regiment (Major Pavlov); 98th Guards Mortar Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Tikhonov); 1,157th Artillery Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Nazarenko); 497th Mortar Regiment (Major Mazanov); 6th Guards Tank Corps (Major-General of Tank Troops Panfilov); 839th Howitzer Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel Chistyakov); 3rd Guards Light Artillery Brigade (Colonel Zhagalov); 59th Independent Tank Regiment (Major Skornyakov); 150th Independent Tank Brigade (Colonel Ugryumov). To commemorate the victory achieved, the name of “Kiev” shall be conferred on the formations and units which distinguished themselves in the fighting for the liberation of the city of Kiev. The 202nd Middle Don Bomber Air Division, the 10th Stalingrad Guards Fighter Air Division and the 235th Stalingrad Fighter Air Division, which have distinguished themselves for the second time in fighting the German invaders, shall be recommended for decoration with the Order of the Red Banner. The first Independent Czechoslovak Brigade of the U.S.S.R., which distinguished itself in the fighting for the liberation of Kiev, shall be recommended for decoration with the Order of Suvorov (2nd Class).

To-day, November 6, at 17.00 hours (Moscow time), the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, shall, on behalf of our Motherland, salute with 24 artillery salvoes from 324 guns, our gallant troops which liberated the city of Kiev. For excellent military operations I thank all the troops under your command which took part in the fighting to liberate Kiev. Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the struggle for the freedom and independence of our Motherland! Death to the German invaders!

(Signed) J. Stalin

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union

Moscow