On February 13, the troops of the 2nd UKRAINIAN Front, supported by the troops of the 3rd UKRAINIAN Front, completed, after a six-week blockade and stubborn fighting in the difficult conditions of a large city, the rout of the encircled enemy group in BUDAPEST, thereby seizing the whole of the Hungarian capital BUDAPEST, a strategic enemy defensive stronghold on the way to VIENNA.

During the fighting in the city of BUDAPEST, the troops of the 2nd UKRAINIAN Front took prisoner over 110,000 Nazi men and officers led by Col. Gen. Pfeffer-Wildenbruch, commander of the Budapest group of troops, and his staff, and captured the following trophies: 15 aircraft, 269 tanks and self-propelled guns, 1,257 guns, 476 mortars, 1,431 machineguns, 83 armored vehicles and armored personnel carriers, 5,153 motor vehicles, 1,326 motorcycles, 3,925 carts loaded with military cargoes, 194 locomotives, 9,475 railway cars, 46 ammunition dumps and ration supply depots. Over 49,000 men and officers were eliminated.

In the course of February 13, continuing their offensive north and north-west of the town of BYDGOSZCZ (BROMBERG), our troops took by force over 40 settlements, including the large settlements of MUKSCH, KLEIN BISLAW, GROSS MENDROMIERZ, SCHLAGENTIN, GERSDORF, CAMMIN, GRUNAU.

In SCHNEIDEMUHL and POZNAN, fighting to eliminate the encircled enemy garrisons continued.

Developing the offensive north-west of the town of LIGNITZ, our troops took over 150 settlements in German Schlesien by force, including the town of BEITEN, and the large settlements of GROSSENBORAU, RUCKERSDORF, JOHNSDORF, NEUHAMMER, LORENZDORF. Encircling the enemy’s garrison in the town of GLOGAU, our troops fought to eliminate it. Fighting in this area on February 12, our troops captured 345 enemy aircraft and 200 aviation engines at aerodromes and took over 700 Nazi men and officers prisoner.

Reconnaissance raids and local fighting in a number of areas were reported on the other sections of the front.

On February 12, 70 German tanks were disabled and destroyed on all fronts. A total of 12 enemy aircraft were brought down in aerial combat or by anti-aircraft guns.