Battle of the Dnieper
The division then fought in the Battle of Kursk and the Battle of the Dnieper. On the night of 26 September, the division crossed the Dnieper and captured a bridgehead near the village of Soshinovka. During the day, the division reportedly repulsed eight German counterattacks, inflicting heavy losses. Denisenko was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin on 20 December for his planning of the Dnieper crossing.