 Nyorera kuenderera kweiyi ndima - Muna Chikumi 1941 nekutanga kweOperation Barbarossa, Kleist akatungamira 1st Panzer Group sechikamu cheArmy Group South - yakapihwa basa rekutora Moldavia neUkraine - uye akaona budiriro muchikamu chekutanga chekupinda, achifambira mberi zvakadzika muUkraine. 1st Panzer Group yakapfuura nepakati peStalin Line, ndokuzokunda mauto mashanu emauto eSoviet 5th Army ne6th Army muHondo yeBrody 23 kusvika 30 June 1941. Muna July 1941 mukati meHondo yeUman, 1st Panzer Group yakapwanya mitsara yeSoviet Southern Front, zvichitungamira mukukomberedzwa nekuparadzwa kweSoviet 6th uye 12th mauto kumaodzanyemba kwakadziva kumabvazuva kweguta reUman muzuva ranhasi Cherkasy Oblast. Munguva yeHondo Yekutanga yeKiev yaNyamavhuvhu-Gunyana 1941, 1st Panzer Group yakatendeukira kuchamhembe kubva pakati peUkraine pamwe chete ne2nd Panzer Group yekuenda kumaodzanyemba kubva kuSmolensk yakatungamira kukomberedzwa nekuparadzwa kweSoviet Southwestern Front kumabvazuva kweKiev, ichikonzera kurasikirwa kwevanopfuura mazana matanhatu ezviuru kuRed Army. Zvisinei, hondo yacho yakanga yave ichidhura, panguva iyoyo mauto eGermany akanga achingova nehafu yetangi raaiva naro mwedzi mitatu yakanga yapfuura. 