RELENTLESS RUSSIAN ADVANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24828, 26 February 1944, Page 7

RELENTLESS RUSSIAN ADVANCE

DRIVE TOWARD BALTIC STATES By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received February 25, 11.20 p.m.) LONDON, February 25 The German overseas news agency reports that the Germans have evacuated the great bastion of Vitebsk, at the northern end of the central front in Russia, in face of mass attacks by Soviet troops, after destroying all military installations. The agency! spoke of Vitebsk as the corner-stone of the German front and the symbolic landmark in the centre of the German eastern line.

The Russians have also captured Rogachev, bringing the Soviet forces within close artillery range of Jlobin, the southern bastion of the enemy s White Russia line, and within 30 miles of Bobruisk.

This new move is of great importance, says the News Chronicle correspondent. He recalls that the Germans have stood firm for many weeks on the Vitebsk-Jlobin line and foiled all the Russian attempts against it. Now the Russians have struck what is likely to prove a mortal blow to the enemy's positions on the central front.

The Russians on the northern front continue to converge rapidly on Pskov. They drove the Germans out of about 200 towns and villages yesterday, including Dno, which was the last German stronghold east of Pskov. The main line from Leningrad to the south passes through Dno and Soviet troops are now mopping up all along the territory east of the railway as far down as Novo Sokolniki. At the Russians* present rate of progress this area should be entirely cleared of the enemy in a few days' time. The loss of Dno, Vitebsk and Rogachev deprives the Germans of three of their main bases barring the way to the Baltic States, says the British United Press. Dno, 60 miles east of Uskov, on the railway from Novgorod, was the enemy's advanced bastion before Pskov and was very strongly defended. Rogachev, at the crossing of the Vitebsk-Korosten and Minsk-Gomel railways, lies on the main road to Bobruisk, also on the railway from Jlobin to Mohilev.