On April 1942, when the 24th Tank Corps was formed, Burdeinei joined it as chief of staff to General Badanov. The Corps was sent to engage the advancing German forces in the South, and was nearly wiped out in the fighting near the Don River, during July. By late October, the unit has recovered from its losses after several months in the reserve. It was assigned to the Southwestern Front and took part in the Battle of Stalingrad. On December, the Corps destroyed the Tatsinskaya Airport and was renamed 2nd Tatsinskaya Guards Tank Corps in honor of this operation. After the Battle of Stalingrad the Corps was made part of the Voronezh Front on March. On 26 June 1943, Colonel Burdeinei assumed command over the Corps, holding the post to the end of the war. As such, he participated in the Battle of Kursk, and was promoted to Major General on 31 August. On 3 July 1944, during Operation Bagration, his units were the first to enter Minsk and liberated the city. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General on the 2 November 1944. The Corps later took part in the Baltic, East Prussian, Vistula-Oder and Berlin operations. For his leadership during the Minsk Offensive he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union (Medal no. 5026) on 19 April 1945.