Order of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief
26 June 1944
[No. 119]

ORDER

OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

To Army General Bagramyan

To Army General Chernyakhovsky

Troops of the 1st Baltic Front and the 3rd Belorussian Front, as a result of a deep outflanking manoeuvre from the flanks, encircled the Vitebsk grouping of the Germans comprising five infantry divisions. Tightening the ring of encirclement, our troops today, 26 June, captured by storm the large regional centre of Belorussia — the city of Vitebsk — an important strategic strongpoint of the German defences in the western direction.

In the fighting for the capture of Vitebsk, distinction was won by troops of Lieutenant-General Beloborodov, Lieutenant-General Lyudnikov, Lieutenant-General Lopatin, Major-General Lyukhtikov, Major-General Ibyansky, Major-General Prokofyev, Major-General Bezugly, Major-General Dibrova, Major-General Usachev, Major-General Kvashnin, Major-General Volkhin, Colonel Lutskevich, Colonel Baidak, Colonel Savchenko, Colonel Goncharov, Colonel Sinitsyn, Lieutenant-Colonel Zhgutov; artillerymen of Lieutenant-General of Artillery Barsukov, Major-General of Artillery Shcheglov, Major-General of Artillery Deresh, Colonel Lukyanov, Colonel Kulikov, Lieutenant-Colonel Ilyichev, Lieutenant-Colonel Prusakov, Lieutenant-Colonel Lavrinovich, Lieutenant-Colonel Kiyan; tankmen of Lieutenant-General of Tank Troops Rodin, Major-General of Tank Troops Malakhov, Colonel Kovalev, Major Zaitsev, Lieutenant-Colonel Kutin; airmen of Colonel-General of Aviation Khryukin, Major-General of Aviation Ivanov, Major-General of Aviation Molokov, Major-General of Aviation Gorlachenko, Lieutenant-General of Aviation Blagoveshchensky, Major-General of Aviation Zakharov, Lieutenant-Colonel Bolotov, Lieutenant-Colonel Shkulepov, Lieutenant-Colonel Nestoyanov, Major Vysokosov; sappers of Lieutenant-General of Engineering Troops Baranov, Major-General of Engineering Troops Gnedovsky, Colonel Korotkov, Lieutenant-Colonel Chizh, and signallers of Major-General of Signal Troops Babkin, Major-General of Signal Troops Sorokin, Colonel Rodionov, Lieutenant-Colonel Ageyev.

To commemorate the victory, the formations and units which distinguished themselves most in the fighting for the liberation of Vitebsk shall be recommended for conferment of the title "Vitebsk" and for award of orders.

Today, 26 June, at 22 hours, the capital of our Motherland, Moscow, on behalf of the Motherland, salutes the valiant troops of the 1st Baltic Front and the 3rd Belorussian Front that captured the city of Vitebsk with twenty artillery salvoes from two hundred and twenty-four guns.

For excellent combat operations I express my thanks to the troops under your command who participated in the fighting for the liberation of Vitebsk.

Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in the fighting for the freedom and independence of our Motherland!

Death to the German invaders!

Supreme Commander-in-Chief

Marshal of the Soviet Union I. STALIN

26 June 1944 [No. 119]