Born on August 31, 1976 in the family of a military man in Germany. After Germany, he lived with his parents in the city of Chuguiv for about 20 years. In 1993, he graduated from Klugino-Bashkirivsk secondary school. In the same year, he entered the Kharkiv Higher Aviation School. He first took to the wing over the city of Chuguiv. After graduating, he served in the 203rd training aviation brigade, and over time served as part of the 40th tactical aviation brigade. His last position was the squadron commander of the tactical aviation brigade of the Air Force. He is one of the combat pilots around whom the myth of the "Ghost of Kyiv" was born at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
On February 24, 2022, he made his first flight to defend the skies over Kyiv. Later, he worked in the southern and eastern directions, and also defended the center of Ukraine. He made more than 80 combat sorties and hit dozens of targets of the Russian occupiers. In total, he spent about 300 hours in the sky. The pilot has a historic achievement for Ukrainian aviation - shooting down a Russian attack aircraft near Kyiv. He has dozens of air targets hit. In particular, a unique battle with a Russian bomber, where the enemy was destroyed without the use of weapons. This is a historic achievement for all Ukrainian aviation.
He was one of the first to launch a public campaign in the media to provide Ukraine with modern F-16 aircraft and to modernize Ukrainian combat aviation in general.
Marital status:
Mother: Korenchuk Maria Romanivna – lives outside the city of Chuguiv;
Sister: Zhykhareva Oksana Ivanovna – lives in the city of Chuguiv;
Brother: Korenchuk Sergiy Ivanovych – lives outside the city of Chuguiv;
Wife: Olena Anatolyivna Korenchuk – lives in the city of Kyiv;
He is survived by three children who live outside the city of Chuguiv.
Circumstances of death:
He died on April 27, 2024. While performing a combat mission to cover state airspace, he made his last flight and remained in the sky forever…
On June 18, 2024, a farewell ceremony for Valentyn Korenchuk took place at St. Michael's Golden-Domed Cathedral and Independence Square. He was buried on the Alley of Heroes at the Lukyanivka Military Cemetery.
By Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 292/2022 of May 2, 2022, for personal courage and selfless actions shown in protecting the state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and loyalty to the military oath, he was awarded the Order "For Courage" of the 3rd degree.
