Editing Operation Barbarossa (section)

===Ukraine and Moldavia===
{{See also|Operation München|Battle of Brody (1941)}}
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-2005-1017-521, Ostfront, -Generaloberst von Kleist besichtigt ein Hüttenwerk in der Ukraine.jpg|thumb|upright|General [[Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist|Ewald von Kleist]] (left), commander of the [[1st Panzer Group]], inspects a large iron works facility in Ukraine, 1941.]]

The northern section of Army Group South faced the Southwestern Front, which had the largest concentration of Soviet forces, and the southern section faced the Southern Front. In addition, the Pripyat Marshes and the [[Carpathian Mountains]] posed a serious challenge to the army group's northern and southern sections respectively.{{sfn|Fritz|2011|pp=89, 140}} On 22 June, only the northern section of Army Group South attacked, but the terrain impeded their assault, giving the Soviet defenders ample time to react.{{sfn|Fritz|2011|pp=89, 140}} The German [[1st Panzer Group]] and 6th Army attacked and broke through the Soviet 5th Army.{{sfn|Glantz|2011|p=41}} Starting on the night of 23 June, the Soviet 22nd and 15th Mechanised Corps attacked the flanks of the 1st Panzer Group from north and south respectively. Although intended to be concerted, Soviet tank units were sent in piecemeal due to poor coordination. The 22nd Mechanised Corps ran into the 1st Panzer Army's III Motorised Corps and was decimated, and its commander killed. The 1st Panzer Group bypassed much of the 15th Mechanised Corps, which engaged the German 6th Army's 297th Infantry Division, where it was defeated by antitank fire and ''Luftwaffe'' attacks.{{sfn|Glantz|2011|p=42}} On 26 June, the Soviets launched another counterattack on the 1st Panzer Group from north and south simultaneously with the 9th, 19th and 8th Mechanised Corps, which altogether fielded 1649 tanks, and supported by the remnants of the 15th Mechanised Corps. The battle lasted for four days, ending in the defeat of the Soviet tank units.{{sfn|Glantz|2011|pp=43–44, 225}} On 30 June Stavka ordered the remaining forces of the Southwestern Front to withdraw to the Stalin Line, where it would defend the approaches to Kiev.{{sfn|Glantz|2011|pp=21, 43–44}}

On 2 July, the southern section of Army Group South—the Romanian 3rd and 4th Armies, alongside the German 11th Army—invaded [[Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic|Soviet Moldavia]], which was defended by the Southern Front.{{sfn|Glantz|2011|p=45}} Counterattacks by the Front's 2nd Mechanised Corps and 9th Army were defeated, but on 9 July the Axis advance stalled along the defences of the Soviet 18th Army between the [[Prut River|Prut]] and [[Dniester River|Dniester]] Rivers.{{sfn|Glantz|2011|pp=45, 112}}