On September 12, 1941 Joseph Stalin issued the Stavka Directive No. 1919 (Директива Ставки ВГК №001919) concerning the creation of barrier troops in rifle divisions of the Southwestern Front, to suppress panic retreats.
According to the Russian historian Yuri Kilin, the Stavka set up a research commission in January 1940 to investigate the number of casualties.
In his autobiography, Martel describes advising the Soviet High Command, Stavka, to allow the Germans to strike first at the Battle of Kursk.
On November 15, 1943 the Stavka ordered the Coastal army reformed, from command elements of the North Caucasian Front, assigned troops from the 56th Army, and to be the assault army in Kerch–Eltigen Operation to establish a bridgehead on the Crimean peninsula.
This institution elected Cijevschi as Commissar for Bessarabia, but, despite the efforts of Bessarabian lobbyists, his appointment was never sanctioned by the Russian Army Command in Mogilev.