Viktor Ivanovich Belenko (Russian: Виктор Иванович Беленко; February 15, 1947 – September 24, 2023) was a Russian-born American aerospace engineer and Soviet pilot who defected in 1976 to the West while flying his MiG-25 "Foxbat" jet interceptor and landed in Hakodate, Japan.

On 6 September 1976, he successfully defected to the West by flying his MiG-25 jet fighter to Hakodate Airport in Hokkaido, Japan.

He might have been aware of the US government's policy of awarding large cash prizes to defecting pilots of communist countries.

[13][page needed] The Soviets responded with a request to return the plane via their own Antonov An-22 aircraft after a rigorous inspection of the crates.

"[17] The CIA concluded at the time that "both countries seem anxious to put the problem behind them" and speculated that the Soviets were reluctant to cancel a series of upcoming diplomatic visits because "some useful business is likely to be transacted, and because the USSR, with its political standing in Tokyo so low, can ill-afford setbacks in Soviet–Japanese economic cooperation.

[19][20] Eager to avoid attention, and reprisal from the Soviet Union, he took the surname Schmidt and moved around often, mostly living in small towns across the Midwest.

He worked as a consultant to aerospace companies and government agencies, and married a music teacher from North Dakota, Coral Garaas.

The Soviet Union repeatedly spread false stories about Belenko being killed in a car accident, returning to Russia, being arrested and executed, or otherwise brought to justice.

However, in a brief and informal bar interview in 2000, he said that he was happy in the United States, remarking, "[Americans] have tolerance regarding other people's opinion.

[27][28] Viktor Belenko died in a nursing home in the small town of Red Bud, Illinois on September 24, 2023, at the age of 76.