>>25556664
During and after World War II, the behavior of Soviet soldiers in Romania was often marked by widespread violence, looting, and abuses against the local population. As the Red Army entered Romania in 1944, reports of plundering, theft, destruction of property, and sexual violence became common, with civilians suffering from arbitrary executions and assaults. Even after Romania switched sides and fought alongside the Allies, Soviet troops continued to act as occupiers rather than liberators, requisitioning food, housing, and resources while showing little regard for Romanian sovereignty. Many factories, farms, and private properties were stripped of valuables, with entire trainloads of goods sent to the USSR. While some Romanian Communist officials tried to justify or downplay these excesses, the general population viewed the Soviet presence as oppressive, reinforcing deep resentment and anti-Soviet sentiment that lasted long after the occupation officially ended in 1958.