4th Ukrainian Front

4th Ukrainian Front
The Front's banner in a Moscow museum
Active1943–45
Country Soviet Union
Branch Red Army
TypeArmy group
RoleCo-ordination and conduct of Red Army Operations in Ukraine, South-Eastern and Central Europe
Size2-4 Armies
EngagementsWorld War II

The 4th Ukrainian Front (Russian: Четвёртый Украинский фронт) was the name of two distinct Red Army strategic army groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II.

The front was first formed on 20 October 1943, by renaming the Southern Front and was involved in the Lower Dnieper Strategic Offensive Operation, two battles of Kiev and the Crimean Strategic Offensive Operation. After the liberation of Crimea, the front was disbanded in May 1944.

For the second time the 4th Ukrainian Front was created on 4 August 1944, by separating the left wing of the 1st Ukrainian Front. The front took part in the Carpathian Offensive simultaneously with the Battle of the Dukla Pass. Afterwards, the front was involved in the battles in East-, North- and Central Slovakia, as well as in the Moravian-Ostrava Offensive Operation on the Polish-Moravian borders and finally in the Prague Offensive which was the final battle of World War II in Europe.[1]

The actions of the 4th Ukrainian Front were important for the liberation of Czechoslovakia. The 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps also served within the front from November 1944 until May 1945.[1]

On 25 August 1945, the front was disbanded and its elements incorporated into the Carpathian Military District.

  1. ^ a b "4. ukrajinský front opět vytvořen, 5. 8. 1944". Fronta.cz. Retrieved 31 July 2018.