On 31 January 1945 the battle to capture the city had started. The Soviet forces intended to take the city of Kostrzyn (then Kustrin) at once. The occupying Germans forces repelled the Soviets attack, forcing their troops to withdraw.
In the coming days, the Soviets (Red Army) repeated attacks and started to bombard the city. The Red Army eventually begin to capture the city gradually.
Civilians from the Kostrzyn started to think about evacuation, although the city authorities had not prepared such a plan. The propaganda claimed that the situation on the border was temporary. It had been published in the newspapers that all of the citizens were uniting to fight for victory, and the occupants would surrender. But the situation became worse and the atmosphere among people become more tense.
After two weeks, on 19 February, the heads of Kostrzyn started preparing for evacuation. Unfortunately, there was no plan to evacuate those who were disabled or elderly. As well as this, there was insufficient space in the vehicles for those people who wanted to escape.
The civilians who stayed had been told to hide in their basements. Due to the daily bombings and combat, they could go outside only at night. Hunger, lack of electricity and water had become a serious problem for those who stayed in Kostrzyn. A large number of civilians lost their lives, others lost their families and all their belongings. The exact number of deaths among citizens is unknown until today, across the region millions of civilians would become victims of the Second World War.