Ruslan Budnik

Ruslan Budnik is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE

Articles by Ruslan Budnik:

1 Man, 1 Gun – 7 German Tanks: Investigating the Legend of Nikolai Sirotinin

A monument to the Soviet soldier Nikolai Sirotinin was erected in the Republic of Belarus in the Mogilev region. The inscription on the monument reads:…

Fascists in Skirts – German Auxiliaries in World War II

In the German system of values, there was a stable expression describing the social role of women, it read – Kinder, Küche, Kirche (children, kitchen,…

WWII Prison Break – The Great Escape You Never Heard About in Austria

In August 1938, 20 kilometers from the Austrian city of Linz, construction of a concentration camp called “Mauthausen” began and it was first in the…

World War III Averted? – Remembering the “Kursk” Submarine Disaster

August 12, 2000, is a date forever included in the newest history of Russia. It was on this day that one of the most sophisticated…

Soviet “Atomic Annie” – The 2B1 “Oka” Nuclear Mortar

The Cold War pushed the Soviet defense industry to create unique weapons. In the spring of 1953, at the military training ground in Nevada, the…

Isolated and Outnumbered: The Desperate Battle for Hill 3234 in Afghanistan

In late 1987, the government of the Soviet Union, led by Mikhail Gorbachev, was determined to complete the Afghan war. Active fighting was over and…

Last Stand at Fort #1 – German Counter-Attack at Grodno 1944

On June 23, 1944, the major offensive of Operation “Bagration” began. On July 15, Soviet troops from the north began to liberate the city of…

“Destroyer of Beasts” – the ISU-152

Object 241 or ISU-152 was a Soviet heavy self-propelled artillery vehicle during the Second World War. The designation “ISU” stands for self-propelled installation, created on…

The German Extermination Conveyor at Babi Yar

On September 29, 1941, the streets of occupied Kiev were filled with thousands of women, old people and children carrying valuable things. According to the…

Object 1161 – Hidden Soviet Bunker

During the Cold War, underground command posts were actively built in the Soviet Union. In 1986, a large construction project was started in the forest…

The British and Soviet Naval War in the Baltics

In the autumn of 1918 in Europe, the battles of the First World War continued. By this time the outcome of the war was predetermined…

Playing at War: Zarnitsa – The Soviet Youth Military Exercises

Zarnitsa was a mass sports game of the 20th century. It was a team competition with elements of military field exercises. “Oh, yes, we also…