First Squad: The Moment of Truth

Set during the early years of World War II on the Eastern Front, this story depicts a hidden conflict involving occult forces. While regular armies clash, secret units from the Soviet Union and Germany utilize magic and paranormal abilities. The Soviet military relies on a special unit of gifted teenagers, led by a young girl named Nadya, to counter the strategies of the SS. Their primary objective is to stop a German officer from resurrecting Baron von Wolff, a 12th-century crusader, and his army of undead soldiers to shift the tide of the war.

This animated production was directed by Alexey Klimov, Vladimir Zhelezniakov, and Yoshiharu Ashino. It marks the first of two films directed by Klimov according to the records. The voice cast includes Elena Chebaturkina as Nadya Ruslanova, Sergei Aisman as Baron Von Wolff, and Aleksandr Gruzdev as General Below. The project was a multinational effort involving production companies from Japan, Russia, Canada, Germany, and Hong Kong, including STUDIO4℃.

Audience reception is mixed, with a rating of 5.6/10 from 1,900 votes on IMDb and a slightly higher score of 6.2/10 from 146 votes on TMDB.