In the plan of Hitler’s leadership of the war against the USSR (plan “Barbarossa”), operations in Ukraine were given a special place. For the defense of Ukraine, the Soviet command also took unprecedented appropriate measures in advance. But for a number of reasons they did not give a positive result in the summer and autumn of 1941. In the book, based on archival documents, memories of participants, both from the Soviet and German sides, research by domestic and foreign military historians, as well as professional knowledge of the subject, the author makes an attempt answer this pressing question.