Vasily Vasilyevich Glagolev was a Red Army Colonel general, Hero of the Soviet Union, and commander of the Soviet airborne (VDV). After initially serving in the Imperial Russian Army during World War I, Glagolev joined the Red Army in 1918. He rose to command the 42nd Cavalry Division on the Crimean Front in World War II, going on to command the 73rd and 176th Rifle Divisions as well as the 10th Guards Rifle Corps. Glagolev briefly became the commander of the 9th Army in February 1943 before being transferred to command of the 46th Army, which he would lead until May 1944. He became the 31st Army's commander and led it during the Vitebsk–Orsha Offensive. In January 1945, Glagolev commanded the 9th Guards Army, composed of Soviet airborne divisions converted into infantry. In April 1946, he became the commander of the Soviet airborne forces and died on in 1947 during exercises.

The Odessa Offensive Operation, known on the German side as the Defensive battle of the 6th Army between Bug and Dniester, was an offensive operation conducted in southern Ukraine by the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front against the German 6th Army and Romanian 3rd Army of Army Group South Ukraine in late March–April 1944. It was part of the second phase of the Dnieper-Carpathian Strategic Offensive.