Sergey Donchenko was born in 1912.

He graduated from flight school in Stalingrad in 1935.

As a leytenant, he served as a volunteer in China in 1939, flying Polikarpov I-16s.

At 13:50 on 20 February, the Air Defence Command at Sian notified the 1st Air District Command that 30 Japanese aircraft (Mitsubishi Ki-21s and Fiat BR.20s) were heading towards Lanzhou in the Kansu province in Northwest China.
Nine I-15bis from 17th PS were scrambled first to intercept the Japanese aircraft and was later joined by two more. Later Russian volunteers were scrambled at 14:05 with seven I-15bis and one I-16. At 14:10 four I-15bis from the 15th PS, one I-16 and one Curtiss Hawk took off from the Siku field.
The first formation of nine Japanese aircraft attacked the Lanzhou airfield from north-west at 14:50. The second formation of twelve aircraft attacked from west at 15:15 together with a third formation of nine aircraft.
Captain Shen Tse-Liu, commander of the 17th PS, shot down the lead aircraft of a squadron of nine Japanese aircraft. His vice-commander Ma Kwok-Lim shot down the second aircraft of the third flight. Kuo Yao-Nan downed one Japanese aircraft. They were soon joined by the I-15bis flown by Russians and the 15th PS led by Lee Teh-Piao and Chang Tang-Tien. Shen later shot down another aircraft from the third Japanese formation.
Nine of the Russian pilots taking part in this combat was Petr Abramov (I-16), kapitan Nikolay Gavrilov (I-16), leitenant Konstantin Gromov (Polikarpov I-15bis or I-16), leitenant Konstantin Kanteyev (Polikarpov I-15bis or I-16), Mikhail Naydenko (Polikarpov I-15bis or I-16), Vladimir Vasilievich Zolotarev (Polikarpov I-15bis or I-16), leitenant Donchenko (I-16), starshiy leitenant Timofey Ovsyannikov (I-15bis) and leitenant Andrey Petrunin (I-15bis), who all eight are credited with nine shared enemy bombers over Lanzhou during the day. This indicate that all the Russian volunteers taking part received credits for all the claimed aircraft and that no individual claims were recorded.
Abramov was to become an ace during the Great Patriotic War when he claimed five victories (and a total of 25 shared) before being killed in air combat on 11 September 1941. Naydenko also became an ace during the Great Patriotic War when he claimed seven victories. Zolotarev claimed two victories during the Soviet-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940.
On this day, the bombs fell on the city and not the airbase and totally nine of the bombers were claimed destroyed by the returning Chinese pilots. One of the Soviet volunteers was wounded during the combat. The Air Defence Command at Sian observed only 21 Japanese aircraft retreating to the east after the battle.
It seems that the Japanese bombers were from the 12th, 60th and 98th Kokutais.

On 23 February, a group of a reported 57 Japanese bombers targeted Lanzhou, but only the first group of twenty bombers arrived over the city. Attacking them along the route, fighters shot down six bombers and instead of pursuing the remainder, waited along the route for the next group. However, the other groups attacked a secondary target instead.
Chinese pilots from the 17th PS claimed victories over Lanzhou during the day.
Soviet volunteers also took part in this combat. Six of the pilots were Petr Abramov (I-16), kapitan Nikolay Gavrilov (I-16), leitenant Konstantin Gromov (Polikarpov I-15bis or I-16), Mikhail Naydenko (Polikarpov I-15bis or I-16), starshiy leitenant Timofey Ovsyannikov (I-15bis) and leitenant Donchenko (I-16), who all according to Russian sources are credited with six shared enemy bombers over Lanzhou on this day.
Kapitan Gavrilov was wounded in this combat and was evacuated back to the Soviet Union on 27 February. It seems that the Japanese bombers were from the 12th, 60th and 98th Kokutais.

When returning from China he was posted to 38 IAP, which was equipped with Polikarpov I-153s.

With this unit kapitan Donchenko took part in the Soviet-Finnish Winter War from December 1939 until March 1940, flying I-153s.

On 22 February 1941, he was decorated with the Order of the Red Banner.

When Germany attacked the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, he was still in 38 IAP, flying I-153s.

On 17 July, his I-153 was hit by AA fire and he crashed to his death.

At the time of his death, Donchenko was credited with 2 biplane victories.

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1939
	20/02/39	14:50-	1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	20/02/39	14:50-	1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	20/02/39	14:50-	1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	20/02/39	14:50-	1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	20/02/39	14:50-	1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	20/02/39	14:50-	1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	20/02/39	14:50-	1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	20/02/39	14:50-	1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	20/02/39	14:50-	1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	23/02/39		1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	23/02/39		1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	23/02/39		1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	23/02/39		1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	23/02/39		1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	23/02/39		1/?	Enemy bomber	Shared destroyed	I-16		Lanzhou
	1941
1	30/06/41		1	He 111	Destroyed	I-153		North-Western Front	38 IAP
	10/07/41		1/?	Ju 88	Shared destroyed	I-153		North-Western Front	38 IAP
	12/07/41		1/?	Bf 109	Shared destroyed	I-153		North-Western Front	38 IAP
2	14/07/41		1	Bf 109	Destroyed	I-153		North-Western Front	38 IAP

Biplane victories: 2 and 2 shared destroyed.
TOTAL: 2 and 17 shared destroyed.

Sources:
All aces of Stalin 1936-1953 – Mikhail Bykov, 2014
Soviet Fighter Pilots 1936-1953 - Mikhail Bykov