The Steppe Front and later the 2nd Ukrainian Front was a Front (military subdivision), effectively an Army group sized formation, of the Soviet Army during the Second World War. This sense of the term "front" is not identical with the more general usage of military front which indicates a geographic area in wartime, although a Soviet Front may operate within designated boundaries.
On 9 July 1943 [1] the Stavka formed a new Reserve Front in the Voronezh region, effective 30 April. It consisted of the command component of the 2nd Reserve Army (augmented by several officer and NCO courses), the 27th, 52nd, 53rd, 46th, 47th, 4th Guards Tank, 5th Air Army and eight mobile corps (Tank, Guards Tank, and Mechanised). Most of these armies had been reassigned from the Northwestern Front, North Caucasus Front, or the STAVKA Reserve, the RVGK. On 13 April 1943 the Front was renamed the Steppe Military District, to be effective 15 April.
The Steppe Military District was redesignated the Steppe Front on July 9, 1943. It incorporated forces from the Soviet rear areas to the West of Kursk salient along the line Tula-Yelets-Stary Oskol-Rossosh (Тула-Елец-Старый Оскол-Россошь). It included units pulled out of the battles of Stalingrad and Leningrad and others. Under the command of Colonel General Ivan Konev from July to October 1943, it took part in the offensive of the Battle of Kursk.
It was renamed the 2nd Ukrainian Front on October 20, 1943.
During the second Jassy-Kishinev Operation, 2nd Ukrainian Front, led by Army General Rodion Malinovsky, comprised:
On 1 January 1945 during the Siege of Budapest the Front consisted of the 7th Guards Army, 27th, 40th, and 53rd Armies, 6th Guards Tank Army, a Cavalry mechanized group consisting of 4th and 6th Guards Cavalry Corps, and 5th Air Army.[2]
On 10 June 1945, in accordance with a Stavka directive of 29 May 1945, 2nd Ukrainian Front was disbanded. Elements were incorporated into Headquarters Odessa Military District.
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