Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation
Handing over ceremony gold Star of the Hero of Russia awards were awarded to the family of army aviation pilot Colonel Vasily Kleshchenko on August 18 in the Tver region, in the center of army aviation, where the aviator served. The ceremony was attended by the Deputy Commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Alexander Maksimtsev, the Governor of the Tver Region, Igor Rudenya, colleagues and veterans of the Army Aviation.
According to the Ministry of Defense, Col. Vasily Kleschenko has been participating in a special military operation since February 24. He commanded a special combat helicopter group. He acted outside the box on the fly, using combat techniques unexpected for the enemy. The circumstances of his death are revealed. Colonel Vasily Kleschenko destroyed several armored vehicles of the Armed Forces of Ukraine during a night raid as the commander of an air group. During this sortie, the helicopter was shot down. The pilot died. He was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia by presidential decree of August 6.
As General Maksimtsev said, helicopter pilots under the command of Kleschenko successfully carried out combat missions aimed at destroying particularly important nationalist targets. The Governor of the Tver Region, Igor Rudenya, in turn announced that a decision was made to assign the name of the Hero of the Russian Federation Vasily Kleschenko to school No. 5 and one of the streets of the city of Torzhok.< /p>