Fourth Battle of Kharkov

The Fourth battle of Kharkov is the fifth Battle in the Soviet campaign.

Preface
After the Battle of Kursk, where the Red Army led a successful counterattack against the invading German armies, the Russians launched Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev to recapture the cities of Belgorod and Kharkov. After the evacuation of Belgorod, fierce fighting broke out near Kharkov as the Russians attempted to outflank the regrouping German forces. As the Red Army moved to take the town, the railway station South-East of Kharkov came to witness brutal fighting, and was eventually wrestled from the Germans in August. This loss — though by no means catastrophic — was enough to dislodge the defenders soon due to quicker Russian reinforcements and supply lines, which led to further Axis retreats. With the defeats at Kursk and Kharkov, and the failure of Operation Citadel, Germany lost the initiative on the Eastern Front for the rest of the war.