Oleksandr Yakovych Oksanchenko ( uk, Олександр Якович Оксанченко; 26 April 1968 – 25 February 2022), nicknamed the Grey Wolf, was a Ukrainian fighter pilot and

Myrhorod Myrhorod ( uk, Ми́ргород, ) is a city in the Poltava Oblast (province) of central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Myrhorod Raion (district), the city itself is administratively incorporated as a city of oblast s ...

city councilor. He was a colonel in the

Ukrainian Air Force The Ukrainian Air Force ( uk, Пові́тряні си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни) is the air force of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Its headquarters are in the city of Vinnytsia. W ...

who won awards in several air shows before retiring in 2018. In 2022, he returned to serve in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and was killed by a Russian

S-400 The S-400 Triumf (russian: link=no, C-400 Триумф – Triumf; translation: Triumph; NATO reporting name: SA-21 Growler), previously known as the S-300 PMU-3, is a mobile, surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed in the 1990s by Russ ...

missile during the Battle of Kyiv. He was posthumously awarded the

Order of Gold Star Hero of Ukraine (HOU; uk, Герой України, ''Heroi Ukrainy'') is the highest national title that can be conferred upon an individual citizen by the President of Ukraine. The title was created in 1998 by President Leonid Kuchma and as ...

Early life

Oksanchenko was born 26 April 1968 in the village of ,

Pokrovske Raion Pokrovske Raion ( uk, Покровський район) was a raion (district) of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, southeastern-central Ukraine. Its administrative centre was located at the urban-type settlement of Pokrovske. The raion was abolished on 18 ...

Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Dnipropetrovsk Oblast ( uk, Дніпропетро́вська о́бласть, translit=Dnipropetrovska oblast), also referred to as Dnipropetrovshchyna ( uk, Дніпропетро́вщина), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, obla ...

and attended his local secondary school until 1985 before commencing military aviation training. He graduated from Kharkiv Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots.

Career

Oksanchenko joined the

Soviet Air Force The Soviet Air Forces ( rus, Военно-воздушные силы, r=Voyenno-vozdushnyye sily, VVS; literally "Military Air Forces") were one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces. The Air Forces ...

in 1989. He worked as an instructor pilot, later rising to the position of deputy commander of his flight training military unit in the

831st Tactical Aviation Brigade The 831st Brigade of Tactical Aviation ( Military Unit Number A1356) is a formation of the Ukrainian Air Force, composed primarily of Sukhoi Su-27 aircraft, that is based at Myrhorod Air Base. Soviet predecessor of the brigade The 659th Fighte ...

stationed at the

Myrhorod Air Base Myrhorod is an air base of the Ukrainian Air Force located near Myrhorod, Poltava Oblast, Ukraine. The base is home to the 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade flying Sukhoi Su-27P/UB aircraft. History In May 1944 the airfield was provided to th ...

. During the

2014 Crimean crisis In February and March 2014, Russia invaded and subsequently annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. This event took place in the aftermath of the Revolution of Dignity and is part of the wider Russo-Ukrainian War. The Revolution of Dign ...

, he was stationed at

Belbek Air Base A military airfield in Belbek, a village near Sevastopol, Crimea, was also used for civil aviation, named Sevastopol International Airport Belbek, uk, Міжнародний аеропорт Севастополь "Бельбек", russian: А� ...

and was in combat in

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

and the

Anti-Terrorist Operation Zone Anti-Terrorist Operation Zone ( uk, Зона проведення антитерористичної операції, translit=Zona provedennya antyterorystychnoyi operatsiyi), or ATO zone ( uk, Зона АТО, translit=Zona ATO), is a term use ...

. From 2013 to 2018, Oksanchenko was a display pilot of the

Sukhoi Su-27 The Sukhoi Su-27 (russian: Сухой Су-27; NATO reporting name: Flanker) is a Soviet-origin twin-engine supermaneuverable fighter aircraft designed by Sukhoi. It was intended as a direct competitor for the large US fourth-generation jet ...

for the

. He had over 2,000 flying hours. In 2016, he flew in the

Malta International Airshow The Malta International Airshow is an annual air show held at the Malta International Airport organized by the Malta Aviation Society. It was first held in September 1993 over Marsamxett Harbour, but then moved to Malta International Airport wit ...

. He was the winner of the 2016 and was presented with a trophy from the Slovak Air Force commander. In 2016, Oksanchenko was honored as the Myrhorod person of the year. In

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

, he won the As the Crow Flies Award for the best display at the Royal International Air Tattoo. In 2018, he won best pilot at the . Oksanchenko was a

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

when he retired in 2018. He was a member of the Strength and Honor ( uk, Сила і Честь) party in

Poltava Oblast Poltava Oblast ( uk, Полта́вська о́бласть, translit=Poltavska oblast; also referred to as Poltavshchyna – uk, Полта́вщина, literally 'Poltava Country') is an oblast (province) of central Ukraine. The administrative ...

. Starting in November 2020, he served as one of the deputies in the

city council. Oksanchenko came out of retirement to resume active duty during the

2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...

. On the night of 25 February, he was killed by a Russian

surface-to-air missile while deflecting hostile planes over

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...

. Oksanchenko was a recipient of the

Order of Danylo Halytsky The Order of Danylo Halytsky ( uk, Орден Данила Галицького) is an award of Ukraine. The Order was instituted on February 20, 2003, by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to honour the military men of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ...

. He was posthumously awarded the

by Ukrainian president

Volodymyr Zelenskyy Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy, ; russian: Владимир Александрович Зеленский, Vladimir Aleksandrovich Zelenskyy, (born 25 January 1978; also transliterated as Zelensky or Zelenskiy) is a Ukrainian politicia ...

Personal life

Oksanchenko had two daughters.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oksanchenko, Oleksandr 1968 births 2022 deaths Aviators killed by being shot down Ivan Kozhedub National Air Force University alumni People from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast People from Myrhorod Recipients of the Order of Danylo Halytsky Recipients of the Order of Gold Star (Ukraine) Ukrainian Air Force officers Ukrainian city councillors Ukrainian colonels Ukrainian military personnel killed in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine

Early life

Career

Personal life

See also

References

External links