Beginning the war as the executive officer of the 8th Mechanized Battalion, Mikhailova's skills as a staff officer quickly earned her a coveted spot with the general staff, reporting directly to the commander of the Spetsnaz Guard Brigades herself. Mikhailova spent almost the entire war in Moscow, helping plan military operations in Europe, Canada and the US, until casualties among front-line officers grew so great that Mikhailova was reassigned as an armored company commander with the battered 38th Armored Battalion. Mikhailova reached her unit in Northern France just in time for the final push against Paris, leading the 15th Armored Company all the way to the city's northern outskirt before the US orbital bombardment destroyed the city center and brought the offensive crashing to a halt.