On 10 July it was concentrated in the Novoselki area west of Bryansk to establish a defensive line, including antitank ditches.

The division became part of 24th Army on 15 July and was moved to the area 20 kilometers southeast of Yelnya.

The division was thrown into a series of costly counterattacks north of the city from 4 September.

By 20 October, at the outset of Don Front's Fourth Kotluban counteroffensive, the division was noted as being severely under strength, with roughly a battalion's worth of fighting men remaining.

[12] Prior to the start of the Soviet counteroffensive at Stalingrad, the 120th had been transferred to 24th Army, still in the same general area, and rebuilt.

On 22 November the division supported the army's shock group with two of its rifle regiments, but the attack made little progress against deeply dug-in German positions.

[13] However, once the Axis forces had been encircled, the 120th gave distinguished service during Operation Ring, finishing off the trapped German 6th Army.

The division fought in the Leningrad–Novgorod Offensive, during which it participated in the capture of Gatchina (formerly Krasnogvardeysk) on 25 January, penetrating into the northeastern section of the town from the north, just as 108th Rifle Corps was seizing the northwestern sector.

Burmistrov's 224th Rifle Division and other units, completely cleared the occupiers from Gatchina.

The division received the Order of the Red Banner for helping to liberate Luga on 12 February.

In September 1944 the division, with its corps, was briefly moved to the Reserve of the Supreme High Command, where it became part of the 21st Army.