Nowhere was it more employed than in World War II in Operation Bagration when the Soviets went over impassable terrain to catch Hitler's reeling armies off guard.
The key to maskirovka was surprise skillfully employed.
As Maj. Gen. Alexander Vladimirov recalled:
"And that came just after Operation Bagration in Belorussia had dealt Hitler's troops a devastating blow.
"It was clear the military skill of Soviet leaders outclassed the Germans," Vladimirov says. "Our generals decided not to go the easy way along the road but through the swamps! That way they attacked the rear of the German forces. That's mastery for you! All throughout Bagration, there were colossal examples of maskirovka involving thousands of tanks and troops. After that the war was practically over."
President Putin learned well from Soviet history on how to make a seemingly difficult victory look easy. People always get taken by surprise at Russian moves. They shouldn't be.
