Vladimir Putin is unleashing newly graduated women military pilots into the Russian air force for the first time since the Second World War.
His “night witches” - seen in pictures and video - have graduated during the war on Ukraine.
Joseph Stalin permitted women to fly during WW2 - and 23 became Heroes of the USSR - but after hostilities ended, they were grounded.
The newly-mobilised women were seen at a weekend passing out parade in Krasnodar - a region bordering Ukraine - after they had qualified from the Serov Higher Military Aviation School.
They are trained for fighters and strategic nuclear bombers, as well as transport planes.
Putin’s defence minister Sergei Shoigu said the female pilots were “gloriously” continuing a tradition.
"You are a reference point and an example for those girls who will follow you,” he said.
Only 15 out of hundreds were selected for training amid a sexist backlash.
"All these girls will soon get married and go to 'serve' on maternity leave," stormed one critic.
Shoigu personally selected one female applicant Anna Shcherbakova, from Perm, who had been refused - taking the total number of “night witches”, as they were called in WW2, to 16.
She had personally written to him explaining her desire for a military career as a pilot.
She was among 400 pilots, 16 of them female, to graduate.
The first women air force pilots to qualify since the Second World War were seen throwing petals and coins in the air in their passing out parade.
In 2017, when they rebottled for their five-year course, Colonel Oleg Pchela told the female applicants: "Girls are usually very romantic.
“They have good motivation that will allow them to learn how to fly our military airplanes and to perform the tasks of their commanders.
"It is a highly responsible job to become a military pilot. It is a hard occupation, it demands high moral values too."
