From June 1941 the 71st Infantry Division took part in the attack on the Soviet Union and surprisingly broke into the Soviet border fortifications near Niemstow on June 22, 1941. On June 24, 1941, a defensive battle against 50 Soviet tanks developed near Niemirow, with them firing from hidden positions against the German infantrymen. Further positions of the Red Army on the Wiszenka military training area were cleared up and defeated. At the end of June 1941 the breakthrough on the northern positions of Lemberg was achieved. For almost the entire month of July 1941, the division managed a lengthy period of marching through the Ukraine within the framework of the army reserve ("Armeereserve"), which was made difficult by bad weather and unfavorable terrain.