Editing Operation Barbarossa (section)

===Offensive towards central Russia===
{{Main|Battle of Uman}}
By mid-July, the German forces had advanced within a few kilometers of Kiev below the Pripyat Marshes. The 1st Panzer Group then went south, while the 17th Army struck east and trapped three Soviet armies near [[Uman]].{{sfn|Thomas|2012|p=13}} As the Germans eliminated the pocket, the tanks turned north and crossed the Dnieper. Meanwhile, the 2nd Panzer Group, diverted from Army Group Centre, had crossed the river Desna with 2nd Army on its right flank. The two panzer armies now trapped four Soviet armies and parts of two others.{{sfn|Thomas|2012|pp=12–14}}

By August, as the serviceability and the quantity of the ''Luftwaffe''{{'}}s inventory steadily diminished due to combat, demand for air support only increased as the VVS recovered. The ''Luftwaffe'' found itself struggling to maintain local air superiority.{{sfn|Hardesty|2012|p=84}} With the onset of bad weather in October, the ''Luftwaffe'' was on several occasions forced to halt nearly all aerial operations. The VVS, although faced with the same weather difficulties, had a clear advantage thanks to the prewar experience with cold-weather flying, and the fact that they were operating from intact airbases and airports.{{sfn|Hardesty|2012|p=83–85}} By December, the VVS had matched the ''Luftwaffe'' and was even pressing to achieve air superiority over the battlefields.{{sfn|Hardesty|2012|p=103}}