 January 4, 1943, Joseph Stalin changed Maslennikov's "Northern Group" task from counteroffensive action to tying up German troops, hoping that a static warfare would delay German withdrawal from the Caucasus and lead them into envelopement and destruction.Stalin reprimanded Maslennikov and Ivan Petrov (commander of "Black Sea Group") for "not understanding this" and, three days later, for issuing unrealistic offensive orders to depleted troops leading to loss of control and potential envelopement by the Germans.Maslennikov regrouped his forces into a single strike at Armavir.