With the attack to the west of Karkov thwarted, the Soviet high command now decided to switch the main effort of its offensive to the city itself.
By 21 August, the Karkov garrison had all  but exausted its reserves of artillery ammunitions, Manstein now gave the order to pull out of the city.  During for the next 48 hours, the Germans withdrew their troops and started blowing up supply dumps to prevent them falling into enemys hands.
During the early hours of 23 August, Soviet troops  drove out the last Germa rearguards and raised the Red Banner over Dzerzhinsky Square. The germans have left for never coming back again, this is to my point of view the great turning point of the whole 2WW in the east, from now on the Wermacht will mostly lose ground without never being able to regain it. 
