As you can see the Soviets paid dearly for their attempt to counterattack ... But that means we are still far from calling them defeated.

On August 24 1941, Stalin spoke to Yeremenko by telephone offering him 2 more tank brigades, several tank battalions, some Katyusha rockets batteries and several Air Force regiments comprising 464 planes "if you promise to beat that scoundrel Guderian" The offensive began on Aug 30th and made little impression before the 21st Army was pushed back onto the 40th, then cut off by Guderian coming from the north. On Sep 2nd Stalin wrote to Yeremenko "STAVKA is still not satisfied with your work, until Guderian and his group is smashed to pieces, all you say about successes is worthless. We are waiting for you to report that you have defeated Guderian's group."
When it became clear that the counter-attack was failing, instead of ending it, STAVKA poured in more forces from other sections of the line and in one area 10,000 men guarded 100 miles of the Dniepr against German forces which out numbered them 6 to 1. With Kleist's I Panzergruppe coming from the south-west the entire South-West Front was in danger of encirclement- but still Stalin refused to withdraw.............
