Zelenskyy orders dismissal after F-16 crash, as Ukraine’s air force faces increased scrutiny.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the commander of Ukraine’s air force, Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk, after an F-16 fighter jet, received from Western partners, crashed during a Russian missile attack, killing the pilot. The decision came just days after the fatal incident, which raised concerns over the effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defense system.
The dismissal of Oleshchuk was announced on the Ukrainian president’s website, with Zelenskyy emphasizing the need for stronger protection of personnel and more efficient leadership within the armed forces. “We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers,” Zelenskyy said, underscoring the necessity of bolstering Ukraine’s military command to maintain an effective defense.
Following Oleshchuk’s removal, Lt. Gen. Anatolii Kryvonozhko was appointed as the acting commander of Ukraine’s air force, according to a statement from the Ukrainian military’s general staff. This change comes as Ukrainian forces face ongoing missile and aerial attacks from Russia, and the Ukrainian air force plays a crucial role in defending against these strikes.
In parallel to Oleshchuk’s firing, controversy swirled over claims made by Mariana Bezuhla, a deputy head of the Ukrainian parliament’s defense committee, regarding the downing of the F-16. Bezuhla accused a U.S.-supplied Patriot air-defense system of mistakenly bringing down the jet, a claim she backed with unnamed sources. The incident has sparked a debate over accountability within Ukraine’s military systems.
Bezuhla has called for an investigation into the incident and urged that those responsible be held accountable. This development highlights growing concerns over the operational integrity of the weapons and defense systems provided to Ukraine by its Western allies.
