Brian Swidrovich, who was director of the Saskatchewan Remembers Airshow, says a Ukranian Colonel well-known to the international airshow community has died fighting a combat mission over Ukraine.

Colonel Oleksandr Oksanchencko died last Friday Night when his Sukhoi Su-27 was shot down over Kyiv by a Russian S-400 missile system.

Colonel Oksanchencko, also known as the “Grey Wolf”, came out of retirement late last month, according to information provided by the International Council of Airshows, to fight against the Russian invasion. After serving as the Ukrainian Air Force Su-27 air show demonstration pilot from 2014 through 2018 and retiring from the air force four years ago, Colonel Oksanchenko returned as a reserve officer to coach and advise the Ukrainian Flanker Solo Display team in 2019.

The ICAS says Colonel Oksanchenko was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.