He Did Not Back Down: The Story of Attack Pilot Oleksandr Shcherbakov (video)

11/13/2026

Today, November 11—the day of the liberation of Kherson—we remember those who, in the very first hours of the invasion, confronted the enemy in the skies over the Kherson region and held them back at the approaches to their native land. At the age of 14, he told his mother firmly: “I have made my decision.” Even then, Oleksandr knew he would defend the Ukrainian skies. At 25, during the opening hours of the full-scale invasion, he declared to his fellow warriors with that same resolve: “I’m going up!”

Sashko volunteered for an extremely difficult combat mission: to stop an enemy convoy advancing from occupied Crimea. Before takeoff, he honestly admitted to his commander, “I’m scared…” The reply came: “I’m scared too. But we have to do our job.” Flying at an extremely low altitude, Oleksandr located the convoy and launched an attack. His aircraft was struck by an enemy missile, yet even with his plane in flames, the pilot continued to do everything in his power to thwart the occupiers.

Oleksandr Shcherbakov perished while defending the Kherson region, becoming one of the first combat casualties of Ukrainian attack aviation. Yet, thanks to his courage, the enemy was halted. It is impossible to count how many lives he saved. Watch the story of a young man who chose the skies at the age of 14—and who did not retreat when the moment became most critical.