Забайкальский фронт
Promoted to "kombrig" in 1938 and to "komdiv" in 1939, Trotsenko was made chief of staff to the 1st Separate Red Banner Army in the Soviet Far East in July 1939 and a major-general upon the introduction of the traditional general officer ranks into the Soviet military in 1940. He served as the chief of staff of the 2nd (Blagoveschensk) Red Banner Army in June - July 1940, but in July was given the more senior post of chief of staff for Lieutenant-General Mikhail Kovalyov's Transbaikal Military District (reorganized as the Transbaikal Front in 1941) until July 1945. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general on 1 September 1943.