Yekaterina Zelenko | |
---|---|
Native name | |
Born | 23 February [O.S. 10 February] 1916 Koroshchine, Ovruchsky Uyezd, Volhynian Governorate, Russian Empire |
Died | 12 September 1941 Sumy Oblast, Soviet Union | (aged 25)
Allegiance | Soviet Union |
Service | Soviet Air Force |
Years of service | 1934 – 1941 |
Rank | Senior Lieutenant |
Unit | 11th Light Bomber Regiment 135th Short-range Bomber Regiment |
Battles / wars | |
Awards | Hero of the Soviet Union Order of the Red Banner |
Yekaterina Ivanovna Zelenko (Russian: Екатерина Ивановна Зеленко, Ukrainian: Катерина Іванівна Зеленко; 23 February [O.S. 10 February] 1916 – 12 September 1941) was a Soviet Su-2 pilot who flew during the Winter War and World War II. She remains the only woman ever credited with conducting an aerial ramming, though many aviation historians question the credibility of such reports due to a lack of solid evidence.