4th Guards Army, with only 250 operational AFVs, had a poor intelligence staff that completely failed to detect the arrival of IV SS Panzer Corps in front of it.

The intelligence sections of the 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts falsely believed the IV SS Panzer Corps was being redeployed to western Hungary.

Subjected to constant Luftwaffe attacks, 40,000 Soviet troops and large quantities of war material were transferred to the east bank to avoid them falling into German hands.

[7] The Soviet 1st Mechanized Corps was also deployed to fight the SS, slowing down the German advance which was redirected north-east towards Lake Velence.

The 1st Panzer Division penetrated the Soviet defensive lines near Vál and established radio contact with the defenders of Budapest.

Adolf Hitler refused to authorize the operation, codenamed Icebreaker, as he was concerned with a potential Soviet offensive from the south-east that might quickly capture the Nagykanizsa oilfields.

A second force would retake Székesfehérvár to cut off the German supply lines and a coordinated attack would be launched from southern Transdanubia to encircle the entire IV SS Panzer Corps.

On 25 January, only 50 out of 306 tanks in the IV SS Panzer Corps had been operational due to battle damage, mechanical wear and lack of fuel.

Rodion Malinovsky, commander of 2nd Ukrainian Front, threw the 23rd Tank Corps into combat without reconnaissance or close air support.