Yekaterina Zelenko
Yekaterina Zelenko | |
|---|---|
Portrait from a 1983 Soviet envelope | |
| Native name | |
| Born | 23 February [O.S. 10 February] 1916 |
| Died | 12 September 1941 (aged 25) Sumy Oblast, Soviet Union |
| Allegiance | Soviet Union |
| Branch | Soviet Air Force |
| Service years | 1934 – 1941 |
| Rank | Senior Lieutenant |
| Unit | 11th Light Bomber Regiment 135th Short-range Bomber Regiment |
| Conflicts | |
| 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.