Before the 1812 French invasion of Russia, Jean Gabriel Marchand who served as chief of staff of the right wing, asked Pelet to join his staff. Marchand and Pelet both had participated in the Portugal invasion. Pelet fought at the Battles of Smolensk and Borodino. After Borodino, he was assigned to lead the 48th Line Infantry Regiment in Étienne Pierre Sylvestre Ricard's division in Marshal Louis-Nicolas Davout's III Corps. At the Battle of Krasnoi, Ricard's division and Ney's rear guard found themselves cut off by large Russian forces. The French tried to break through, but in the effort the 48th Line lost 550 out of 650 soldiers while Pelet was shot in the arm, right foot and left leg. In a meeting with Ney, Pelet advised the marshal to cross the frozen Dnieper River. This recommendation was followed and Ney escaped the trap with 900 survivors.