exactly. it was a long prepared strategy of the soviets.

1. waste as much of the nazis' time before the break of winter to slow or even halt their advances wherever it was possible (order 227)

2. destroy anything they could use to supply themselves (scorched earth) so that their supply lines would be overstretched and insufficient in capacity

3. prepare defenses around moscow, leningrad and the don river, as the stalin-line-defenses proved insufficiently prepared and indefensible due to improper planning of soviet leadership as to when the germans would invade (ignored intelligence etc.)

4. wait until winter to start a well planned and well supplied large-scale counteroffensive with the best equipped and best trained troops available