Alexander Stepanovich Osipenko (Russian: Александр Степанович Осипенко; 1 June [O.S.

Osipenko was born in Tursevo-Kula village, in what is now Finland prior to the First World War.

In 1918 he was living with his family in Smolensk and in 1929 joined the Soviet Air Forces, rising to the position of squadron leader in 1937.

He flew with the 1st Escuadrilla de Caza, and was a successful fighter pilot, though his record is contradictory.

One source credits him with 17 individual and 34 shared aerial combat victories[3] making him the most successful Soviet pilot of the conflict.