Reshetov was born on 23 March 1921 in Mykanino, a village near Moscow.

He joined the army in 1938, attending the Borisoglebsk Military Air College, from where he graduated in 1940.

When the war started in June 1941, he was servicing in the 239 IAP.

On the first day of the German invasion on 22 June, he claimed a Ju 87 over Chernovitsami at 04:30 while flying an I-153.
During the day, he totally flew 10 sorties.

Six pilot from 6 IAP claimed a shared "He 113" on 16 May. This was claimed by kapitan Viktor Gusarov (eskadrilya commander), leytenant Reshetov, leytenant Fedor Bobylkin, leytenant Ivan Zheltov, starshiy serzhant Ivan Borovoy and one unknown pilot north-east of Chuguyev.
Kapitan Gusarov (totally 6 victories) was wounded in an air combat on the same day (same combat?) and suffered additional injuries while landing. He died of his wounds on 18 May.

South-Western Front, Kharkov direction. The eskadrilya commander kapitan Viktor Gusarov gives orders. Pictured (left to right): starshiy serzhant Ivan Borovoy, leytenant Ivan Zheltov, kaptain Viktor Gusarov, leytenant Fedor Bobylkin and leytenant Reshetov. These five pilots from 6 IAP claimed a shared "He 113" on 16 May 1942 together with a sixth unknown pilot. The five pictured pilots totally claimed 15 enemy aircraft destroyed between 11 to 17 May 1942.
Photo by L. Leonidov (TASS) via Soviet Aces 1936-1953.

On 17 May, starshiy leytenant Reshetov claimed an Hs 126 in the Nepokrytor-Kharkov area.

Next day, on 18 May, he claimed a He 111 in the same area.

During May, he claimed two additional victories in the Kharkov area.

On 28 May a group of pilots (including Zheltov) and aircraft from 6 IAP was transferred to 273 IAP.

In June, he was shot down by anti-aircraft fire during a reconnaissance mission and wounded.

On 17 August, he flew three armed reconnaissance missions and claimed a Bf 109 shot down and a second damaged.

Next day, on 18 August, he flew four missions and claimed another Bf 109.

On 19 August, he was engaged in combat three times with enemy aircraft.

On 21 August, he flew a photoreconnaissance mission.

During 23 August, he was involved in combat twice.

In all during August, he was credited with 5 victories and 1 damaged during 52 sorties and 15 combats.

During the autumn, he claimed a Ju 87.

On 21 November 1942, the regiment became the 31 GIAP.
During November, he was also promoted to kapitan, commanding an eskadrilya.

During a mission in January 1943, four Yak-1s from 31 GIAP became involved in combat with Ju 87s south of Stalingrad. Reshetov claimed one shot down but got his own fighter damaged. He made and emergency landing in enemy territory. He made good his escape from his aircraft under the cover of his squadron mates’ guns.
Fotiy Morozov borrowed a car and went for his rescue. Reshetov was found hiding in a haystack and after four days, the two friends were back at their regiment.

On 27 January 1943, kapitan Reshetov led four Yak-1s to engage seven Ju 88s and four Bf 109s. He claimed a shared Ju 88 over Metschelinskaya together with leitenant Fotiy Morozov while leitenant Nikolai Yalizarovich Glazov destroyed a second. Reshetov then made a firing pass against the two German crews as they hung in their parachute straps. In return, both Reshetov’s and Morozov’s Yak-1s were hit by the gunners of the other Ju 88s. KG 51 lost two Ju 88s. One was Ju 88 A-4 (WNr 4092) from 1./KG 51 piloted by Oberleutnant Alfons Berger, which was shot down (probably by Reshetov and Morozov). This was Berger’s third mission of the day and when hit, he urged his crew to parachute, which two managed to do (co-pilot Felwebel Horst Puls and Unteroffizier Josef Schenag). These two were later rescued, wounded, by members of SS Division Wiking patrolling the no man’s land. Several hours later, the same Wiking soldiers found Berger’s body, along with the beheaded corpse of his ventral gunner Unteroffizier Hans Sachs.

On 1 May 1943, Reshetov was decorated with the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenin. This in recognition for 432 sorties, 100 combats and 1 and 8 shared victories.

He then flew on the South Front, taking part in the liberation of Donbas.

On 15 September, he claimed a Bf 109 over Krasnyi Luc.

During September, he claimed a Bf 109 over Donbas.

In November, he was in action over Nikopol.

During the spring of 1944, serving on the 4th Ukrainian Front, he was involved in the Liberation of the Crimea.

In August 1944, the unit re-equipped with Yak-3s, operating these aircraft on the 2nd Ukrainian Front over Rumania and Hungary.

Operations took place over Debrecen and Donau in March 1945, and here on one occasion he led six Yak-3s against 48 Fw190s over Estergom, eight of the latter being claimed by the Soviet pilots without loss.
For this action, he was awarded with the Order of Suvorov, 3rd Class.

Resehetov ended the war with 1 biplane victory and a total of 35.
He had flown 821 sorties and been engaged in 200 combats.

He remained in the Air Force after the war, commanding an IAP, and the graduating from the Air Academy in 1954.

He retired as a polkovnik in 1964 to live in Moscow.
During his career he was also decorated with the Order of the Red Banner (twice), the Order of Alexandr Nievsky, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class (twice) and the Order of the Red Star (three times).

Resehetov passed away on 26 February 2001

Claims:

Kill no.	Date	Time	Number	Type	Result	Plane type	Serial no.	Locality	Unit
	1941
1	22/06/41	04:30	1	Ju 87	Destroyed	I-153		Chernovitsami	239 IAP
	1942
	16/05/42		1/6	He 113	Shared destroyed	Yak-1		NE Chuguyev	6 IAP
?	17/05/42		1	Hs 126	Destroyed	Yak-1		Nepokrytor-Kharkov area	6 IAP
?	18/05/42		1	He 111	Destroyed	Yak-1		Nepokrytor-Kharkov area	6 IAP
?	??/05/42		1	Enemy aircraft	Destroyed	Yak-1		Kharkov area	6 IAP
?	??/05/42		1	Enemy aircraft	Destroyed	Yak-1		Kharkov area	6 IAP
?	17/08/42		1	Bf 109	Destroyed	Yak-1		Stalingrad area	273 IAP
?	17/08/42		1	Bf 109	Damaged	Yak-1		Stalingrad area	273 IAP
?	18/08/42		1	Bf 109	Destroyed	Yak-1		Stalingrad area	273 IAP
?	??/08/42		1	Bf 109	Destroyed	Yak-1		Stalingrad area	273 IAP
?	??/08/42		1	Bf 109	Destroyed	Yak-1		Stalingrad area	273 IAP
?	??/08/42		1	Bf 109	Destroyed	Yak-1		Stalingrad area	273 IAP
	1943
?	??/01/43		1	Ju 87	Destroyed	Yak-1		S Stalingrad	31 GIAP
	27/01/43		1	Ju 88 (a)	Shared destroyed	Yak-1		Mechetinskaya	31 GIAP
?	15/09/43		1	Bf 109	Destroyed	Yak-1		Krasnyi Luc	31 GIAP
?	??/09/43		1	Bf 109	Destroyed	Yak-1		Donbas	31 GIAP

Biplane victories: 1 destroyed.
TOTAL: 35 and 8 shared destroyed, 1 damaged.
(a) Ju 88 from I/KG 51 shot down, pilot Hauptmann Alfons Berger and two of thee crew were killed while two parachuted.

Sources:
All aces of Stalin 1936-1953 – Mikhail Bykov, 2014
Russian Fighter Aces of 1914-1953 years
Soviet Aces 1936-1953
Soviet Fighter Pilots 1936-1953 - Mikhail Bykov
Stalingrad – The Air Battle: 1942 through January 1943 – Christer Bergström, 2007, Chevron Publishing Limited, ISBN 978-1-85780-276-4
Stalin's Eagles - Hans D. Seidl, 1998 Schiffer Publishing, ISBN 0-7643-0476-3
Stalin's Falcons - Tomas Polak and Christhoper Shores, 1999 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-902304-01-2
Additional information kindly provided by Verbena Volpi 'Ben' Pastor and Ondrej Repka.