The division was barely formed and lacked much of its equipment when it was sent to the front on nine trains at the end of July.

By 30 July, it was taking positions defending the line of the Dnieper near Kaniv, south of Kiev.

The division was part of the army's mobile group for several front-level offensives in 1942, which occasionally stretched the German defenses but never broke through.

It included the same rifle regiments as the previous formations, and spent the entire war with the 35th Army.

By the end of the invasion, the 264th was so far behind the rest of the army that it was assigned to the 87th Rifle Corps in the front reserves.