With the Soviet Army at the gates of Kharkov, the GPU was reported here today as having completed preparations for the arrest and punishment of all those in the city who are responsible for the killing of Jews and for terror against the local population during the months of Nazi occupation.
Leaflets have been dropped over Kharkov during the last few days urging the people to keep an eye on the terrorists and to prevent their escape. “When the Red Army enters the city, there will be a great round-up of all the Nazi criminals responsible for the atrocities committed upon the population,” the leaflets stated. Special units of the GPU will conduct the round-up under the personal supervision of L.P. Beria, the chief of the Soviet Political Police, it was declared in Moscow.
A warning to Nazis that they will be court-martialed by Soviet military courts for their atrocities in Kharkov and other parts of the occupied Ukraine where the number of Nazi-executed Jews runs into the tens of thousands, was also broadcast in the German language over the Moscow radio. The warning stated that “no kid gloves will be used against those who will have to pay for their crimes.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
