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Leonid Petrovich Fursa (born 5 June 1946, Novaya Tavolzhanka, Belgorod Oblast, USSR) — First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Air Force from 1999 to 2004

Early life
Leonid Petrovich Fursa was born on 5 June 1946 in the village Novaya Tavolzhanka, Belgorod Oblast. From 1953 he studied at the local village school. After graduating from school in 1964, he became a cadet in (Russian) Kharkiv Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots named after S.I. Gritsevets. In 1966 Leonid Fursa had his first flight on a training aircraft L-29. Towards the end of his graduation from the academy, he mastered MiG-17 and МiG-21F-13. Being one of the best students and having 242 flight hours, Leonid got his first job as a Flight instructor in (Russian) 809th Training aviation regiment, (Okhtyrka). From 1969 to 1976 Leonid passed formation in different positions in 812th TAR, Kupiansk, and in 1975 he was appointed as deputy commander of the training regiment. In 1976, having rank Major, Leonid was awarded Order for Service to the Homeland 3rd degree. In 1979 he finished a 3 year education course in Gagarin Air Force Academy. The same year, he was sent to serve in Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. In 1980 Leonid was made a commander of 773 Fighter aviation regiment (FAR). Soon in 1982, being regiment commander, Leonid received Order of Red Star for excellent results of his regiment during practice of operation conduct. According to 1984 rotation plan, he was appointed commander of (in Russian) 190th FAR.

Military Service in Afghanistan
At the end of 1985, Leonid was given an order to prepare his regiment to fulfill International Duty in Afghanistan. In July 1986, after training at the military air base Mary, the regiment was relocated to the airfields Bagram and Shindand in Afghanistan. The main tasks of the regiment were combat duty in the air defense system, bombing and assault strikes on specified targets and conducting aerial reconnaissance. Having fulfilled the combat task, the regiment in full force returned to the airfield of permanent basing in Kanatovo. For bravery and heroism, showed in the performance of military duty to provide international assistance to the people of Republic of Afghanistan and skillful leadership of the regiment, Leonid Petrovich Fursa was awarded Order of the Red Banner and Order of Lenin.

Battle wound
On 16 of April 1987, Leonid Petrovich Fursa performed an airstrike on the terrorist base in the district of Zhawar. When performing a maneuver to attack the target, the plane was hit with a guided Air-to-air missile, fired from F-16 of Pakistan Air Force. Leonid Fursa, dropped the bombs, took the plane out of the dive and pointed it towards Kabul. But after losing control of the plane - Leonid was forced to catapult. Place of landing was covered by pilots of other groups, coordinated by the head of the political department of the regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Ospischev A. I. Further upon arrival of the helicopter of the search and rescue brigade, Leonid was evacuated to the army hospital in (Kabul). It was his 388th battle flight.

After Afghanistan
After undergoing a year of injury treatment, having achieved permission to perform flights, Leonid continued to command 190th FAR. In October of 1987 he was appointed as deputy commander of 138th Fighter aviation division, and in August of 1989 Leonid was appointed as commander. In February 1990, Leonid Fursa was promoted to Major general of Aviation.

Military Service in Ukraine
With the Declaration of Independence of Ukraine, Leonid Petrovich actively carried out work to bring the division units to the military oath of allegiance to the people of Ukraine. On 13 of January 1992 division management and subordinate units of the garrison Mirgorod were sworn in. Commanding FAD in Mirgorod, became a delegate from Poltava on (Ukrainian) Worldwide ukrainian forum. In June 1994, Leonid was promoted to Deputy Commander of 14th Air Сorps, and in November 1995 he was promoted to commander of 14th Air Сorps. By the order of president Leonid Kuchma in August 1998, Leonid Fursa was awarded the rank of Lieutenant-general. Between 1998 and 1999 he served in the position Inspector general of Air Force - Deputy Chief Inspector Ministry of Defence (Ukraine). In 1999 Leonid was promoted to Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Ukrainian Air Force. On 1 September 2004, Leonid retired from the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Medals

 * Order of Lenin
 * Order for Service to the Homeland 3rd degree
 * Order of the Red Banner
 * Order of the Red Star
 * Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky (Ukraine) 3rd degree
 * More than 30 medals