at the end of 1943, the red army liberated most of soviet territory and started advancing westward from its borders to defeat nazi germany and its allies. it was in this context that the soviet forces crossed romania. if the soviet union could hit romania, nazi germany's last hope is gone, said the military leadership of the red army. russians deposited the entire 1.5 million soldiers in the attack against romania and romania last reserves consisting only of 138 000 soldiers. during the summer of 1944 it began the attack on bessarabia (moldova) and the romanian army fled the area. on 2 august, the whole bessarabia (moldova) is captured by the red army. the russians then went a long way in romania and on 23 august they reached into the romanian capital bucharest. the public opinion turned in the country against antonescu and of summer 1944 he was deposed and imprisoned. the new government signed a ceasefire and extradited itself to the soviet union. the red army killed the members from the old fascist regime (including ion antonescu) on june 1, 1946.