As part of the Stalingrad Front and then the Don Front from 1 January 1943, the division fought in Operation Ring, the destruction of German troops trapped in the pocket created by Operation Uranus. On January 29, he personally took the surrender of Lieutenant General Edler von Daniels and his 376th Infantry Division in the ruins of the city. Following the end of the battle, the division transferred to the 64th Army, which became part of the operational group of Lieutenant General Kuzma Trubnikov; the latter became the Stalingrad Group of Forces on 27 February. For its actions, the 422nd became the 81st Guards Rifle Division on 1 March 1943; Morozov was promoted to major general on the next day. Shortly afterwards, the 81st Guards were transferred with the 64th Army (redesignated 7th Guards Army on 1 May) to the Voronezh Front, where they defended the Seversky Donets in the Belgorod area. The division became part of the 25th Guards Rifle Corps on 4 May. The division staged an especially strong defense during the Battle of Kursk in and near the Stari Gorod (Old Town) suburb of Belgorod from 5–9 July before being forced to break out of partial encirclement on 10 July due to the retreat of the forces on its flanks. On 27 August Morozov was recognized for his leadership with the award of the Order of Kutuzov, 2nd Class.