According to historian David Glantz, the Soviet Union attempted to invade Romania during the spring of 1944, through the territory of present-day Moldova.

Between 8 April and 6 June, the Soviet Army launched the first Jassy–Kishinev offensive, so named after two major cities Iași (Jassy) and Chișinău (Kishinev) in the area.

A series of military engagements took place, with the objective of cutting off vital Axis defensive lines in Northern Romania, thus facilitating a subsequent advance by the Red Army into the entire Balkan region.

According to Glantz, the offensive operation ultimately failed, mainly due to the poor combat performance of Soviet troops and the effectiveness of German defensive preparations.

On 23 August, King Michael of Romania led a coup d'état against Prime Minister Ion Antonescu; the new government surrendered to the Allies and declared war on Germany.