Podpolkovnik Yevgraf Nikolaevich Kruten was a World War I flying ace credited with seven aerial victories.

He began World War I as an aerial observer with three years experience in military aviation.

While learning French aerial tactics, Kruten shot down a German aircraft during February 1917.

After his return to Russia in March 1917, he shared his new-found knowledge in a flurry of booklets on military aviation.

He commanded his battle group of three detachments, and ran his victory total to seven before dying in a landing accident on 19 June 1917.

Kruten was required to fly as part of Russia's maiden attempt at artillery spotting.

[1] At the outbreak of war, Kruten began flying reconnaissance and bombing missions as a member of the 21st Corps Air Detachment.

He flew reconnaissance and bombing missions; by February 1915, he had flown over 40 sorties without crossing paths with any enemy aircraft.

[3] He switched to the 2nd Army Air Detachment; when he scored his first aerial victory on 6 March 1915, piloting a Voisin he was awarded the Order of Saint Anne Fourth Class.

The successful duo flew back through crippling antiaircraft fire that stopped their engine and forced their landing near the Russian 2nd Caucasian Corps.

[3] In April 1916, Kruten was ordered to Smolensk to test fly aircraft for the new fighter groups being formed.

On 13 November, he was selected as one of a party assigned to the Western Front for cross-training with French aviators.

[4] His final victory, on 6 June 1917, was unusual; he ran out of fuel during his attack, but still managed to down his foe while gliding to a forced landing.

[3] On 19 June 1917 at 0925 hours,[3] while returning from a combat mission, as his landing Nieuport sank through 100 meters altitude, Yevgraf Kruten spun in and crashed.