Defense of Brest Fortress

The defense of Brest Fortress was the first battle of Operation Barbarossa, the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union launched on 22 June 1941. The German Army attacked without warning, expecting to take Brest on the first day, using only infantry and artillery, but it took them a week, and only after two bombardments by the Luftwaffe. Many defenders were killed or captured.

This article is about a 1941 battle between Germany and the USSR. For Polish-German battle of 1939, see Battle of Brześć Litewski.
Battle of Brest
Part of the Eastern Front of World War II

The Eastern Front at the time of the Battle of Brest.
Date22–29 June 1941
Location
Brest, Belarusian SSR, Soviet Union
Result German victory
Belligerents
 Germany  Soviet Union
Commanders and leaders
Fritz Schlieper Pyotr Gavrilov (POW)
Ivan Zubachyov (POW)
Andrey Kizhevatov †
Yefim Fomin 
Strength
about 17,000, 2 panzer divisions over 9,000, 2 T-26 cavalry tanks, BA-20 Bobik
Casualties and losses
429 dead, 668 wounded more than 2,000 dead
about 6,800 captured

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