 Regiments of the 303rd Fighter Aviation Division were sent to Mukden, China in March 1951 in preparation for Soviet participation in the Korean war, and in June Dokashenko experienced his baptism by fire of the Korean war.In October he was promoted to captain and made commander of the 3rd squadron.The two previous commanders of the 3rd squadron had to be removed from their post for incompetence, and the squadron did not gain a single aerial victory until 18 August during a flight with the regimental commander, Grigory Pulov.