During the Great Patriotic War (World War II), Kosygin was a member of the State Defence Committee and was tasked with moving Soviet industry out of territories soon to be overrun by the German Army.
Under den store Fædrelandskrig (2. verdenskrig) var Kosygin medlem af den statslige forsvarskomité og fik til opgave at flytte den sovjetiske industri ud af de områder, der snart ville blive indtaget af tyske militære styrker.