In 1938 he spent three months as Inspector of Cavalry for the Far Eastern Separate Red Banner Army, during which time he was promoted to the rank of Kombrig.

[3] On April 9, 1942, Southern Front headquarters sent a telegram to the Soviet High Command stating that, in accordance with the Ukrainian SSR criminal code, Usenko had been sentenced to 'deprivation of his freedom' for 10 years for commission of a military crime.

After examining the legal process, the USSR People's Commissariat for Defence annulled the sentence, but reduced Usenko to the rank of colonel.

During the course of the operation the much-depleted division was officially credited with capturing 6,647 enemy officers and men, and seizing 67 artillery pieces, 297 machine guns, 30 tanks, 521 other vehicles, and 5,253 rifles.

[7] General Usenko continued in command of the 97th Guards for just a few days; on May 12 he died near Voronezh after being blown up by a mine while his vehicle was crossing a road.