On this day, 82 years ago, on September 26, 1943 (August 27, 1943 in the lunar calendar), the Soviet army approached Kiev and conquered Smolensk. September 26, 1943. The Red Army bombed Nazi troops in Smolensk. Smolensk was once the largest fortifications on the German Eastern Front. They controlled the city and accumulated strength for the Battle of the Dnieper River. After several days of arduous fighting, the Soviet army drove the German army out of the city step by step. As night fell, the capture plan was completed and Smolensk was finally liberated today. It was also reported that Roslav, 37 miles southeast of Smolensk, had been recovered. The capture of Smolensk gave the Russian army a continuous and complete front of 156 kilometers. Joseph Stalin said in a communiqué released that more than 4100 German troops were killed in the 24-hour battle, including 1000 German troops killed in the Battle of Brovare, a suburb of Kiev. Kiev is the third largest city in the Soviet Union and has been occupied by the Nazis since September 1941. It is likely to be the base for the next Russian victory. Berlin commentator Adolf Halfeld commented that Germany's successive defeats in the Eastern Front were caused by Italy's surrender to the Allies. He wrote: "Italy's betrayal made military and political changes in the German army inevitable." The comment highlighted the regret that most Germans deplored Italy's silent surrender. In the last few days, the Soviet Union regained more than 540 places from the German army. In strategic terms, Kiev's victory will be second only to the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad.