p It has been reported from the army in the field: “Stiff fighting was going on near the village of Yelnya. The Germans had built fortifications in front of the houses, camouflaged them and returned fire for a long time. When our unit went into attack, the nazis drove all the women and children out of the village and placed them in front of their trenches... .”

p This was done by soldiers of Hitler’s army lauded as brave and honourable men by the nazi radio. “Honour” like theirs emanates a sickening stench of putrefaction. And one can’t help thinking: if these soldiers survive won’t they be ashamed to face their mothers, wives and sisters?

p Nazi indoctrination must have been pretty thorough to have destroyed all human feeling in the soldiers, and to have transformed living creatures into automatons perpetrating inhuman, savage deeds.

p I do not know what the nazis’ act at Yelnya will be called in the language of Goebbels—military acumen or German resourcefulness—but in the language of all the world’s civilised nations an action such as this, ignominious for a soldier, has been and always will be called vileness.

p The reaction of everyone who hears about this new nazi atrocity will be a feeling of shame for the German people, loathing and hatred for those who ignominiously hide behind the unarmed civilian population.

p The people of the Soviet Union and the Red Army are keeping count of the crimes perpetrated by the nazis. They shall pay with much blood for the blood shed by our people, and for their own dishonour.

1941