Сталин дважды отказал. Цена — 240 000 жизней. Харьков, май 1942

May 1942. The Kharkov pocket is one of the most terrible and least known catastrophes of the Great Patriotic War. Three Soviet armies were encircled in the Barvenkovo ​​salient. 240,000 men were captured, 70,000 were killed, and hundreds of thousands were reported missing. This is the story of Junior Sergeant Nikolai Gromov, an antitank gunner in the 197th Artillery Regiment, and his crew—five men who faced the war together at Hill 179.4. Eight days later, one of them would survive. This video follows the day-by-day progress of the offensive, why Stavka refused to allow a troop withdrawal when it was still possible, how the failed breakout unfolded on the night of May 25, and what happened to those who escaped the encirclement—and to those who were captured. If this story touched you, please like and subscribe. Tell us in the comments: did anyone in your family fight on the Southwestern Front? #GreatPatrioticWar #Kharkiv1942 #KharkivCauldron #WorldWarII #WarHistory #MissingInAction #MilitaryStories #WWII #1942