Bonaparte's looked-for great battle finally took place at Borodino, on September 7. Commanding the Russian force in that battle was Mikhail Illarionovich Kutuzov, a veteran of previous battles against France; he had replaced Barclay de Tolly as commander in the north. (The Russian army's propensity to refuse to give battle was a synergy of both an intentional wartime strategy and Barclay's reluctance to engage the enemy.) Losses were great on both sides, and the Russian army retreated further, toward Moscow. As before, they employed a scorched earth policy as they went, denying their pursuers any succor from the land.

When French troops entered Moscow on September 14, they found it on fire. Most of the residents of that large and historic city had fled, taking much of their food and belongings with them. They left behind large amounts of hard liquor, and despondent French soldiers helped themselves to that, increasing the devastation of the looting that resulted from frustration. The fleeing Russians had also taken all firefighting equipment with them as they fled, so the fires burned and burned. Napoleon watched helplessly from the Kremlin as his dream of gaining Alexander's surrender hung in the balance.