Russia's 'Angels of Death'... 16 Female Pilots Produced for the First Time Since WWII

Able to pilot strategic bombers and transport aircraft after 5 years of training
"All will soon marry and serve on maternity leave," raising negative views

For the first time since World War II, 16 female Air Force pilots emerged in Russia. The photo shows them participating in a celebratory parade. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] For the first time since World War II, 16 female air force pilots have been born in Russia.

According to the British Daily Mail on the 30th (local time), they completed a five-year training course at the Serov Higher Military Aviation School and held a graduation celebration parade last weekend in Krasnodar, a city in the southwestern part of Russia. The total number of graduates this time was 400, including these 16 women. The female air force pilots celebrated their graduation by throwing flower petals and coins into the air during the parade. The Daily Mail referred to them as the "Angels of Death."

Sergei Shoigu, Russia's Minister of Defense, praised them, saying, "You are proudly continuing the tradition of female pilots" and "You are role models for Russian girls." Meanwhile, the "Shoigu of the Year" award, given to the outstanding graduate, was received by female graduate Anna Shcherbakova, who attracted more attention because she was initially rejected from admission.

During World War II, Joseph Stalin, the former Soviet leader, allowed female pilots to participate in combat, and among them, 23 were awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union." The title "Hero of the Soviet Union" was established in 1934 to honor heroic achievements and brave merits for the former Soviet regime and socialist society, and it was the highest title and rank until the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Since then, female air force pilots in Russia had almost disappeared for nearly 80 years, but this graduation marks their revival.

When entering in 2017, Colonel Oleg Ptchela told the female applicants, "Women are generally very romantic and have good motivation to learn how to pilot military aircraft and perform the duties of a commander," adding, "Military pilots have a tough job that requires strong responsibility and high moral values." It is known that they were trained to pilot strategic nuclear bombers and transport aircraft.

However, negative views toward them are not insignificant. Some sarcastically said, "They will all soon get married and serve on maternity leave."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.