 Kuramba kwakanga kwakajairika pakati pevashandi vemunharaunda, ne101 ye189 yeBessarabians yakaunganidzwa ichitiza chitima cheOdessa-chinotungamira musi wa18 Kukadzi 1943. Matare ehondo akaedza kudzora chiitiko ichi nokuisa chirango chakakomba pavaMoldova vairamba kuita mhiko yokuvimbika: makore 25 ebasa rakaoma nokutorerwa zvinhu zvavo. Mune chimwe chiitiko, mutungamiriri weRomania Antonescu akatokumbira kuti, kana pakava nokusiyana kwevanhu vakawanda, munhu mumwe nomumwe wechigumi aifanira kupfurwa pamberi peboka racho. Mugore rose, hurumende yeBessarabian yakabudisa mazita nevaya vakakundikana kuzviratidza kuti vaunganidzwe, nemakumi evanhu vakashaya mumisha yakasiyana-siyana munharaunda yacho uye vanopfuura makumi manomwe kuAlexăndreni neMilești Mari. Avo vakanyorerwa chaizvoizvo vakaonekwawo vasina kuvimbika, naAntonescu vachitaura mumusangano wehurumende musi wa 16 November 1943 kuti vaBessarabian havadi kurwa uye vanokwezvwa neVatsvuku. Maererano naLevit, vamwe vavo vakatumirwa kunzvimbo yeCrimeansechikafu chemagandanga kuitira kuti azadzise zvikumbiro zvaHitler zvokusimbiswa, nemabhatani avo akaiswa pakati pemapoka eGermany kuti adzivise kutiza. Vanhu vokuBessarabia vaiva pamutsetse wokutanga vakashorwawo neSoviet propaganda, iyo yakaparadzira mapepa aivakurudzira kuti vachinje mativi uye kuti vabatane neRed Army nevapanduki. Nhapwa dzehondo dzeRomania dzakagadziriswa nedhipatimendi rezvematongerwo enyika reSoviet 51st Army dzakataura kuti maBessarabian aisada kurwa uye zvakavhurika vakataura nezvekuzvipira; mune imwe nyaya, maBessarabian manomwe kubva mubato revarwi vakatiza uye vakabatana nevapanduki veCrimea. 