From 11 March then-Lieutenant Colonel Kozhanov commanded the 1196th Rifle Regiment of the 359th Rifle Division, leading it in the Battles for Rzhev, Kholm-Zhirkovsky, and Yartsevo. In the summer and fall the regiment was on the defensive northeast of Rzhev. On 5 February 1943 Kozhanov was appointed deputy commander of the 220th Rifle Division, with which he fought in the Rzhev-Vyazma Offensive. In June he was sent to study at the Voroshilov Higher Military Academy. After completing the accelerated course there in April 1944 Kozhanov was sent to the 3rd Belorussian Front and on 8 May took command of the 91st Guards Rifle Division. From 23 June it fought as part of the 39th Army in the Vitebsk–Orsha offensive, the Vilnius offensive, and the Kaunas offensive. From 3 to 4 August elements of the division reached the Dubysa, conducted an assault crossing of it, and fought to expand their bridgehead, then on 10 August transitioned to the defensive. For its performance in the breakthrough of German fortifications south of Vitebsk the division was awarded the Order of the Red Banner on 2 July, and for the capture of Kaunas it received the Order of Suvorov, 2nd class, on 12 August.