Battle of Kiev ( 1943 ) The Second Battle of Kiev describes three strategic operations ( two offensive and one defensive ) by the Soviet Red Army , and one operational counterattack by the " Wehrmacht " which took place in the wake of the failed German offensive at Kursk during World War II . These four operations took place between 3 October and 22 December 1943 . Overview . The Red Army launched their first summer offensive of the war , pushing Erich von Manstein ' s battered Army Group South back towards the Dnieper River . There , Manstein intended to rest and refit his troops , but that was not to be . STAVKA , ( the Soviet high command ) , ordered the Central Front ( Byelorussian Front 20 Oct 1943 ) and the Voronezh Front ( 1st Ukrainian Front 20 Oct 1943 ) to force crossings of the Dnieper before the Germans could catch their breath . When this was unsuccessful in October , the effort was handed over to the 1st Ukrainian Front , with some support from the 2nd Ukrainian Front . The 1st Ukrainian Front , commanded by Nikolai Vatutin , was able to secure bridgeheads north and south of Kiev . His opponent would be the veteran 4th Panzer Army , commanded by Hermann Hoth . The structure of the strategic operations from the Soviet planning point of view was : First attempt . In October 1943 , several of Vatutin ' s armies were having serious trouble trying to break out of the rugged terrain of the Bukrin bend , the southern bridgehead . The 24th Panzer Corps of Walther Nehring , in an effective defensive position , had the opposing Soviet forces squeezed in . As a result , Vatutin decided to concentrate his strength at the northern bridgehead at Lyutezh . The 3rd Guards Tank Army , commanded by Pavel Rybalko , moved northwards toward the Lyutezh bridgehead under cover of darkness and diversionary attacks out of the Bukrin bend . Masses of artillery were shifted northwards , but the movements went unnoticed by the Germans . Initial stage of second attempt . Early on the morning of 3 November 1943 , the 4th Panzer Army was subjected to a massive Soviet bombardment . The German forces screening the bridgehead were defeated , and Kiev was quickly captured . The 1st Ukrainian Front ' s objective was to drive quickly westward in order to take the towns of Zhitomir , Korosten , Berdichev and Fastov , and to cut the rail link to Army Group Center ; this would be the first step towards the encirclement of Army Group South . The plan went very well for Vatutin ; Manstein , however , became worried . As Rybalko ' s tanks moved through the streets of Kiev on 5 November , Manstein pleaded with Adolf Hitler to release the 48th and 40th Panzer Corps in order to have sufficient forces to retake Kiev . The 48th Panzer Corps was committed to Manstein . Hitler refused to divert the 40th Panzer Corps , and replaced Hoth with Erhard Raus , who was ordered to blunt the Soviet attack and secure Army Group South ' s northern flank and communications with Army Group North . A number of sources give 6 November as the date for the fall of Kiev . The 1st Czechoslovak Independent Brigade seems to have started the assault earlier , at 12 . 30 on 5 November , reaching the Dniepr at 02 . 00 on the 6th , after sweeping through the western suburbs of the city and were the first unit in the city center , with Kiev finally being captured at 06 . 50 on the 6th . Rauss counterattacks . Rauss , even with the new Panzer Corps attached , was in difficulty . However , 4th Panzer Army was soon reinforced , especially with artillery and rockets . Despite suffering heavy casualties in the initial stages of Vatutin ' s offensive , the German divisions were bolstered by the arrival on 7 November of the newly formed 25th Panzer Division of the 48th Panzer Corps , commanded by " General der Panzertruppen " Georg Jauer . Its drive on Fastov was halted by the 7th Guards Tank Corps . Rybalko was soon just from Berdichev . Zhitomir was taken by the 38th Army ; the 60th Army was at the gates of Korosten ; 40th Army was moving south from Kiev . The only respite for the Germans came when the 27th Army exhausted itself and went over to the defensive in the Bukrin bend . The 4th Panzer Army was in deep trouble . However , the situation changed with the arrival of the elite 1st SS Division , 1st and 7th Panzer Division s , under the command of 48th Panzer Corps . These new forces drove north to Brusilov and then west to retake Zhitomir . Rybalko sent the 7th Guards Tank Corps , to counter the German assault , and a huge tank battle ensued , although not quite on the scale seen at Kursk . This continued until the latter part of November , when the autumn mud halted all operations . Both sides suffered heavy losses . The casualty ratio was fairly balanced , though the Soviets lost slightly more than the Germans . 4th Panzer had gained some breathing space with the recapture of Zhitomir and Korosten . Vatutin , while temporarily halted , had given a good account of himself during the German counterattack . STAVKA also released substantial reserve forces to the First Ukrainian Front . Final stage of second attempt . By 5 December , the mud had frozen in the Russian winter . 48th Panzer Corps conducted a wide sweeping attack north of Zhitomir . Catching the Soviets by surprise , the Germans sought to trap the Soviet 60th Army , and the 13th Corps . Reinforced with the 2nd " Fallschirmjäger " Division , the Germans drove eastward , putting the Soviets on the defensive . With Fastov also being threatened , the 60th Army withdrew from Korosten . Vatutin was forced to ask STAVKA for more reserves , and was granted 1st Tank Army and 18th Army . These new units , along with additional Corps from other sectors , were hastily rushed westward . Thus , the Soviets stopped the German advance , went back on the offensive , and retook Brusilov . Both sides were exhausted by late December and the battle for Kiev was over . Aftermath . Although the Soviets had failed to break the rail link with Army Group Center or envelop Army Group South , they had conquered Kiev , broken the Dnieper line , and inflicted massive casualties on the 4th Panzer Army . The Germans , for their part , had destroyed several sizable Soviet formations and kept the vital rail link open . But there was to be no rest . A few days after 48th Panzer Corps was pulled out to rest and refit , the Soviets launched their winter offensive on Christmas Eve . The renamed Voronezh Front Offensive succeeded in pushing the Germans back to the 1939 Polish border by 3 January 1944 . According to Soviet information , the Germans suffered casualties of 6 , 491 men , 286 tanks and 156 aircraft from 3 until 6 November 1943 in the Kiev Offensive Operation .