Russia has come up with new documents. The Red Army supplied Prague with food, he says
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, the Russian Ministry of Defense delivered its interpretation of the Red Army operation from May 6 to 11, 1945. It did so at a time of strained Czech-Russian relations caused by a dispute over the interpretation of history.
The Russian Ministry of Defense has published about fifty pages of documents concerning the beginning of the operation, the end of the fighting and other developments in May. The scanned materials are in Russian and are written in Cyrillic.
According to documents, after the morning of the Red Army entering Prague on May 9, fighting with German troops took place “all day”. “The troops of the (Ukrainian) front continued on the offensive on May 9, 1945, broke the resistance of individual sections of the enemy and, thanks to rapid advance, took control of the capital of Czechoslovakia – Prague,” the report said to the General Staff of the Red Army on the night of May 10.
“During the operation from 5 to 10 May, 25,000 enemy soldiers were captured. The losses were 73 killed and 409 wounded, “the material further states.
What history saysAt the time of the Prague Uprising, the US Army could have arrived in Prague earlier. However, based on an agreement with the Russians, it stood on a demarcation line leading roughly through Karlovy Vary, Rokycany and Písek. The Soviets rejected the American proposal to move it. |
The documents also show that the command of part of the Red Army, led by Marshal Ivan Konev, launched an operation aimed at liberating the Czechoslovak capital after receiving reports that the people of Prague “need help in resisting the fascist forces.”
The “fascists” had the task of suppressing the Prague Uprising, according to records, which also mention that during the offensive, the local population enthusiastically welcomed Soviet soldiers.
According to a more recent claim, the Red Army supplied the people of Prague with food in the days just after the end of the war. The documents state that the inhabitants were given tons of flour, potatoes and other foodstuffs.
It is said that farmers also received support. “Given the situation in which Czechoslovakia found itself at the end of the sowing season, the government of the Soviet Union organized a shipment of seeds and fodder: 500 tons of barley, 430 tons of oats, 1070 tons of corn and 30 tons of legumes,” the materials said.
In recent months, the Czech Republic and Russia have been divided over some events in the common history of 1945 and the occupation of August 1968.
The Czechia wants to negotiate with Russia on Konev, Petříček begs for patience |
Russia is reluctant to remove the statue of Konev from Interbrigade Square in Prague 6, and dislikes the unveiling of a memorial plaque to anti-Soviet Vlasovs who helped the participants in the Prague Uprising at the end of World War II.
Therefore, some Czech politicians are threatened with criminal prosecution by Russian officials, which in turn provoked sharp criticism from the Czech side. The mayor of Prague, Zdeněk Hřib, has repeatedly stated in recent days that Soviet troops arrived in de facto free Prague at the end of the Prague Uprising.
Due to disputes with Russia, Hřib, as well as the Mayor of Prague 6 Ondřej Kolář and the Mayor of Prague Řeporyjí Pavel Novotný, received police protection.