ðə sˈoʊviət bᵻlˈoːɹʌʃən əfˈɛnsɪv ʌv dʒˈuːn ˈɔːɡəst nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi fˈoːɹ kˈɑːmənli nˈoʊn æz ˌɑːpɚɹˈeɪʃən bæɡɹˈeɪʃən hæd sˈiːn ðə dʒˈɜːmən ˈɑːɹmi ɡɹˈuːp sˈɛntɚ nˌɪɹli dᵻstɹˈɔɪd ænd dɹˈɪvən fɹʌm wʌt ɪz nˈaʊ bˌɛlɚɹˈuːs, mˈoʊst əv wʌt ɪz nˈaʊ lˌɪθjuːˈeɪniə ænd mˈʌtʃ ʌv pˈoʊlənd.
The Soviet Belorussian offensive of June–August 1944 (commonly known as Operation Bagration) had seen the German Army Group Centre nearly destroyed and driven from what is now Belarus, most of what is now Lithuania and much of Poland.