Dragon has released Soviet infantry figures in its 1/35 scale series before, but never before has it offered soldiers from the 1941 winter period. Germany mounted a massive invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, and the powerful force’s momentum took troops to the very gates of Moscow. However, amidst stiffening Soviet resistance, freezing weather and badly overstretched supply lines, the attack slowed and stalled.

Stalin had been transferring fresh troops from Siberia and the Far East since autumn, and in early December 1941 they helped launch a counteroffensive near Moscow. These troops were better equipped for cold-weather operations than the Germans, and as they advanced, Soviet forces drove a gap between Army Group North and Army Group Center. It’s from this desperate period of winter fighting that this figure set emanates.

The box-top illustration shows four Soviet soldiers dressed for winter combat. They wear uniform gear such as greatcoats, sheepskin jackets, toques, mittens/gloves and fur boots. The action poses are very suitable for depicting a combat scene in the snow and ice, and the sculpting of the plastic is sharp and realistic. The soldiers also wield weapons suitable for this time period of 1941, including Mosin-Nagant rifles and a DP28 light machine gun. Of course the figures could also find application in a different setting (in the winter fighting against Finland, for example) so they will prove very versatile. As usual, the assembly and painting instructions are in full color on the back of the box. This new Dragon set will find a niche amongst modelers as there is little else available representing this period of the Great Patriotic War.

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