 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Mukati mezhizha ra1942, apo kufambira mberi kweGermany kwakaswedera kumusha wemhuri yake muAlexeyevka, Nadezhda navana vaviri vomukwanyina vakava vapoteri uye pakupedzisira vakaenda kuBuy, Kostroma Oblast, uko vabereki vake vaigara. Mumatsutso a1942, kuumbwa kwemapoka matsva emhepo kwakatanga muMoscow Oblast. Arapov akava mukuru wevashandi ve8th Airborne Corps, asi musi wa 8 Zvita mauto akachinjwa kuva 3rd Guards Airborne Division, uye akava mukuru wevashandi vechikamu. Pana 25 December Arapov akasimudzirwa kuva lieutenant colonel. Muna February 1943, pashure pokupedza kurovedzwa kwayo, boka racho rakatamisirwa kuNorthwestern Front kunorwa muHondo yeDemyansk, kuedza kuparadza chiGermany chinokosha. Kubva musi wa 25 Kukadzi kusvika musi wa 12 Kurume, divi iri rakarwisa nzvimbo dzeGerman dzakasimbiswa zvakanyanya, asi rakanga risingabudirire nekuda kwekutsigirwa kwakashata kwezvombo. Pashure pokurasikirwa nezvikamu zviviri kubva muzvitatu zvevashandi vayo, boka racho rakabva radzokera shure nokuda kwokuwedzera. Zvisinei, mamiriro ezvinhu muKursk Bulge aida kukurumidza kutumira kwechikamu ikoko, uye ichiri kuvakazve yakaendeswa ku53rd Army yeSteppe Front muna Kubvumbi naMay. 