The Battle of Krasny Bor was part of the Soviet offensive Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda. The Soviet offensive called for a pincer attack near Leningrad, to build up on the success of Operation Iskra and completely lift the Siege of Leningrad, encircling a substantial part of the German 18th Army. The offensive near Krasny Bor, Leningrad Oblast, formed the western arm of the pincer. The Soviet offensive began on Wednesday, 10 February 1943. The offensive produced noticeable gains on the first day, but rapidly turned into a stalemate. The strong defense of the 250th Infantry (Spanish) led by General Emilio Esteban and 4th SS Police Division gave the German forces time to reinforce their positions. By February 13, the Soviet forces stopped their offensive in this sector.
In Spain, February 10 became known as "Black Wednesday", due to the huge losses of the Spanish Division, which lost over 70% of the men engaged in the battle. It was the most costly battle for the Spanish volunteers during their time on the Eastern Front.
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