The catastrophe of 1941 is still trying to explain, or even justify the "surprise of the enemy strike" and the superiority of the enemy in forces and means. But if in the West and North-West directions this was true, then on the southern flank there is no excuse for the defeat of our troops. Since the main strike of the Wehrmacht was expected precisely in the south, the main forces of the Red Army were concentrated here, which had an overwhelming numerical advantage, especially in armored vehicles and aircraft. The enemy switched to active actions against the Southern Front only on July 2, so there can be no question of any "surprise." Two-thirds of the enemy group advancing here were Romanian units, inferior to the German in all respects. Nevertheless, the troops of the Southern Front were driven back hundreds of kilometers from the border - to the Dnieper and Odessa.