The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
Commander of the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade, Hero of Ukraine Colonel Oleksandr Dovhach, was killed while carrying out a combat mission.
The brigade told the life story of this extraordinary man.
His path to conquering the sky began with a youthful dream: every time he looked up, he imagined himself at the controls of a combat aircraft. After entering the Chernihiv Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots, he fulfilled this dream.
It was there that the character of the future pilot was formed — composed, determined, calm in the most difficult situations. There he learned not only to fly an aircraft but also to make decisions on which the lives of others sometimes depend.
“A pilot has no right to fear — in the sky there is only the mission, your crew, and responsibility for the country”, — Oleksandr Dovhach said.
After his studies he devoted his life to service in the Air Force of Ukraine. Years of serving his state became years of constant flights, training, exercises, and combat preparation. His experience grew along with his responsibility.
Since 2010 he served as the senior navigator of an aviation brigade and later continued service in the 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade.
Later Oleksandr Dovhach headed the 39th Tactical Aviation Brigade. For the pilots he became not just a commander but the man who is the first to take off when a combat order comes.
Brothers-in-arms recall: when a difficult mission had to be carried out, he never looked for someone who would fly instead of him. He simply said: “Let’s go to work”.
His combat path began during the Anti-Terrorist Operation in eastern Ukraine. At that time Ukrainian aviation for the first time in many years again became a shield for its troops.
For courage and professionalism in those years he was awarded the Order of Danylo Halytskyi.
But the real test for him, as for the whole country, became February 24, 2022.
In the first days of the full-scale invasion, Russian troops tried to gain air superiority.
At that time Ukrainian pilots took to the sky almost without rest. Among them was Colonel Oleksandr Dovhach.
He did not stay on the ground — he entered the cockpit of a combat aircraft together with his pilots.
“If I send people into the sky, I must be there with them”, — he said.
During the years of the great war he carried out hundreds of combat sorties — taking to the sky where danger awaited: enemy missiles and air defense systems.
Each sortie was a separate story — difficult, tense, sometimes on the edge of what was possible. His aircraft carried out missions in the hottest points of the war.
In the first weeks of the Russian invasion he defended the sky over Kyiv region, was one of those called the “Ghost of Kyiv”, restraining the enemy advancing toward the capital.
Later — over the Kharkiv region, where aviation destroyed columns of Russian equipment and covered Ukrainian units.
Then — in the southern direction, during operations in Kherson region and near Snake Island, where precise strikes by Ukrainian pilots changed the situation on the battlefield.
The risk was incredible, as flights took place under constant threat from enemy air defense. Each mission required absolute concentration and cold precision. But he was able to remain calm even in the most dangerous moments.
“Panic in the sky means defeat on the ground”, — he said. And his confidence was passed on to others.
For courage, professionalism and personal bravery, the state awarded him high honors. He became a full cavalier of the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytskyi, receiving the III, II and I classes of this high combat award.
The highest recognition of his service became the title of Hero of Ukraine with the award of the Order of the Golden Star.
But for those who served beside him, his real reward was not orders. Brothers-in-arms remember him as a competent and humane commander who knew how to support in the hardest moment, as a mentor who taught young pilots not only to fly but also to be strong.
“For me the greatest reward has always been the trust of my brothers-in-arms and the opportunity to rise into the sky every day defending Ukraine”, — the brigade commander said.
On March 9, 2026, Colonel Oleksandr Ivanovych Dovhach was killed while performing a combat mission in eastern Ukraine.
“His last flight became part of the struggle to which he devoted his entire life. He remained faithful to the sky and to his oath until the very last day of loyal service to Ukraine.
They say pilots never leave forever — they simply climb to another altitude. And there, in the boundless sky, his glorious name will forever remain — Hero of Ukraine Colonel Oleksandr Dovhach.
You were a father and a role model for our entire family. We will avenge you. Eternal memory to the Hero!” — the brigade said.
