page_title: Siege of Mogilev
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Siege of Mogilev / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: Battle of Smolensk Diagram
context_page_description: The Siege of Mogilev was a three-week encirclement of Mogilev undertaken by German troops, part of the Battle of Smolensk. After the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, German troops broke through Soviet lines. Mogilev was heavily fortified and bypassed by German tank forces. German infantry steadily reduced the pocket, and by late July, the defending Soviet troops had run out of ammunition and other necessary supplies. As a result, Soviet commander Fyodor Bakunin went against orders and ordered a breakout. A small number of Soviet troops were able to reach Soviet lines, and 35,000 were reported captured by German troops. The defense of Mogilev tied down four German infantry divisions, delaying their attack on Gomel for a week.
context_section_description: In late June, Soviet troops began constructing defenses around Mogilev and on the Drut River 19 kilometers to the west of the city. The city's buildings were fortified and minefields and trenches were created. Attacks from the XXXXVII Motorized Corps and the XXIV Motorized Corps were repulsed. Heinz Guderian, commander of Panzer Group 2, decided to bypass the city instead of attacking it. He ordered the XXXXVI and XXIV Motorized Corps to head for the Sozh River.
caption: Map of the Battle of Smolensk, showing the Siege of Mogilev
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