 Esteban Infantes akatarisana nokuedza kukuru kweSoviet kuputsa kukombwa kweLeningrad muna February 1943, apo 55th Soviet Army, yakasimbiswazve pashure pokukunda kweSoviet paStalingrad, yakarwisa nzvimbo dzeSpain muHondo yeKrasny Bor, pedyo nomugwagwa mukuru weMoscow-Leningrad. Pasinei zvapo nokurasikirwa kukuru, vaSpanish vakakwanisa kuchengeta nzvimbo yavo pakurwisana nechiuto cheRussia chakanga chakakura zvikuru kanomwe uye chaitsigirwa nezvikepe zvehondo. Kurwiswa kwacho kwakadziviswa uye kukombwa kweLeningrad kwakasimbiswa kweimwezve gore. Kukunda uku kwakasimbisa mukurumbira waEsteban Infantes pakati pevarwi vake uye nevakuru vakuru veGermany. Mukuru mukuru we18th Army, Generaloberst Georg Lindemann, akauya kuzomushanyira nokumukorokotedza nokuda kweiri basa guru. Akakwidziridzwa kuva Generalleutnant uye akapiwa mubayiro weGerman Gold Cross. Musi wa 3 Gumiguru 1943 akazopedzisira apihwawo Knights Cross yeIron Cross. 