According to the reconnaissance reports of the commander of Sicherheitspolizei and SD Minsk, a careful estimate suggested a population of 10,000 people and a number of 'bandits', a total in the order of 34,000 men.

Allegedly, there existed a veritable Soviet republic with command offices, centers of recruitment and the military training of young men; also, new sports arenas, churches and schools.

'Given the current weather it must be expected that in all villages of the mentioned area the bandits have found shelter', was the feeble justification of the Dirlewanger Special Battalion.

[3] Within the following week, the area of the operation was concentrically crossed by 13 battalions and numerous smaller units of the participating forces in five combat groups.

The sled column is to be kept so far from the location to be destroyed that the civilian drivers are not present at the executions.Combat Group Binz of Police Regiment 23 (SS-Polizei Regiment 23)[4] issued the following radio message: The radical destruction of all buildings, even the smallest and most remote and the destruction of all persons not required to drive cattle or collect agricultural products where possible (flachs); the area is to become no mans land.

The commander of combat group north takes complete responsibility for this.The order had not been issued by a major of the Schutzpolizei, (gendarmerie), Siegfried Binz, however, but at a higher level.

Combat Group Staff von Gottberg on February 15 probably a day earlier, and thus in time to give the order himself or at least be present when it was issued.

Other units taking part in Operation Hornung included a detachment of Einsatzgruppe B with the collaboration of the Rodionov battalion, which in turn came from the rear area of Army Group Centre and was noted for its brutality.

Two Wehrmacht propagandists reported the attempt to transform the area into a no-man's-land by systematically slaughtering the population of villages and farms, including every infant.