When the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression broke out, China's air force was vastly outnumbered, possessing far fewer pilots and combat aircraft than Japan, and the disparity in air power was overwhelming. After the signing of the 1937 Sino-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, the Soviet Union began aiding China's war effort by exporting fighters and dispatching volunteer aviators. With the help of the Soviet Volunteer Group, the strength of the Chinese air force was greatly enhanced. Grigory Kulishenko was one of these Soviet volunteer pilots. Born in Ukraine in 1903, Kulishenko had been a squadron leader in the Soviet Air Force. In 1939, along with Kozlov, he was sent to China by the Soviet government to assist in the war against Japan.

　　“Why do the Japanese come to bomb Chinese peasants who are working peacefully and quietly in the fields along the roads?“ Kulishenko's profound empathy for the suffering of the Chinese people was transformed into boundless courage in the skies. He undertook the vital task of training Chinese pilots. Before every flight, Kulishenko explained the day's lesson, control techniques and procedures to each Chinese pilot; sometimes, to correct a deviation, he would lead the same pilot through three or four additional sorties. Together with his comrades, Kulishenko sent one group of Chinese pilots after another into the sky, defending China’s cities with his own blood and life.

　　The Thunder Battle over Wuhan