Bugaev was born in the village of Mankivka in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic into a family of teachers.

[1] After the war Bugaev left the Soviet Air Forces and worked in civil aviation.

As a pilot for Aeroflot, he undertook several pioneering flights to explore new routes, including to India, Burma and Indonesia.

Above the Mediterranean Sea, near Algeria, the plane was attacked by a hijacked French military jet, which fired twice at Il-18.

Bugaev managed to steer the plane out of danger, which was highly praised by Brezhnev.