Page "Battle of the Korsun-Cherkassy Pocket" Paragraph 41

The Soviet performance was also beset by errors.

Soviet intelligence on German forces in the pocket was faulty and overestimated their strength.

At the same time, the Soviets underestimated German capability for a counter-attack, and had to rapidly insert more forces to bolster the strength of their encircling rings.

The Soviet air force failed to strongly hinder the German aerial resupply effort, allowing the German forces within the pocket to hold out longer before being forced to retreat.

Ultimately, the strength of the encircling forces proved insufficient to prevent a German breakout, allowing a significant portion of the trapped Germans to escape.

Finally, given the initial circumstances of the battle, the degree of Soviet losses makes clear that while the Soviets won at Korsun, it was a victory that came at a high price.