Celebration of WW2 liberation in Yalta, Crimea

16 April 1944 marks the liberation of Yalta from the occupying Nazi Germany forces.

17 April 1944 - the Red Army liberated right-bank Ukraine from the Nazi invaders, having completed the Dnieper-Carpathian offensive.

The Red Army victory in western Ukraine invigorated the national liberation movement in central and southeastern Europe considerably. The frontline was pushed back closer to food, oil and other raw material sources that were vital for Germany.

The success of Soviet troops had huge international political repercussions. Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria started looking for ways to withdraw from the war, while the Soviet Union’s allies expedited preparations for landing their troops in France.