During the summer offensive that destroyed the German 6th Army for the second time the 10th Guards Corps was a reserve formation and played an important role in the exploitation of the victory into the Balkan states.

During the autumn and winter the 86th Guards assisted in the offensives that gradually encircled Budapest, helping to beat off several German attempts to break through to rescue the garrison trapped there; each of its rifle regiments would be honored or decorated for their roles in this fighting.

He was then replaced by Col. Vasilii Pavlovich Sokolovskii who would remain in command for the duration of the war, being promoted to the rank of major general on September 13, 1944.

While he attributed much of the failure on his premature commitment of 2nd Guards Army he was reassured by Marshal A. M. Vasilevskii that the offensive had successfully diverted German strength from more important axes.

[4] Southern Front returned to the offensive on August 18, this time finally smashing the Mius-Front with the fire of over 5,000 guns and mortars on the German defenses.

[11] During the first days of February the German 6th Army began evacuating the bridgehead it held on the east bank of the Dniepr based on Nikopol.

Malinovskii, began a new offensive on March 4 with the objectives of crossing the Bug and Dniestr rivers prior to forcing the border into Romania.

The troops who participated in the liberation of Nikolaev, by the order of the Supreme High Command of March 28, 1944, and a commendation in Moscow, are given a salute of 20 artillery salvoes from 224 guns.

[15] Immediately following the victory at Nikolaev the left (south) wing of 3rd Ukrainian Front continued its advance on the city of Odessa, which was expected to be taken at the earliest around April 5.

This was led by Pliyev's Cavalry-Mechanized Group, followed by the 8th Guards and 6th Armies to envelop the city from the northwest and west while the 5th Shock was to advance on its defenses directly from the east.

Once this was accomplished Malinovskii ordered Pliyev to race south as fast as possible to cut the withdrawal routes of the German forces from the Odessa region.

With the trap closing shut the remainder of the defending LXXII Army Corps began breaking out to the west, allowing the Soviet forces to occupy the city's center at 1000 hours on April 10 after only minor fighting.

[18] Following the battle for Odessa, the STAVKA ordered Malinovskii's Front to mount a concerted effort to force the Dniestr, capture Chișinău, and eventually occupy all of eastern Bessarabia.

By the end of the next day the Corps was to arrive in the Comrat area; by this time the Axis Kishinev grouping had been encircled following the linkup of 3rd and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts.

[24] By the first week of October the 86th Guards had advanced to the east bank of the Tisza River just south of Hódmezővásárhely, forcing a crossing there shortly afterward.

[28] In the planning for the offensive to break the "Margarita Line" and subsequently encircle Budapest, which was to begin on December 20, the division was allocated as the Army's combined-arms reserve.

[29] It was located immediately south of the city on the east bank of the Danube, facing the northernmost part of the line on the opposite side of the river.

Overnight on January 2/3 the commander of 3rd Ukrainian Front ordered the 18th Tank Corps to move to the Dág–Bajna area and prepare to launch an attack in the direction of Nyergesújfalu in conjunction with units of the 86th and 4th Guards Rifle Divisions.

[31] The division met the German attack due south of Esztergom[32] and helped bring it to a halt, for which its subunits were officially recognized.

When the siege ended one of the division's units was recognized with an honorific:BUDAPEST... 263rd Guards Rifle Regiment (Lt. Col. Denisenko, Andrei Andreevich)...

The troops who participated in the liberation of Budapest, by the order of the Supreme High Command of February 13, 1945, and a commendation in Moscow, are given a salute of 24 artillery salvoes from 324 guns.