President Zelenskyy has dismissed the commander of the Ukrainian air force, Mykola Oleshchuk, following the crash of an F-16 warplane during a Russian bombardment that resulted in the pilot’s death. Zelenskyy emphasized the need to protect personnel and strengthen the army at the command level. Anatolii Kryvonozhko has been appointed as the acting air force commander. Oleshchuk’s dismissal came after he criticized a lawmaker for claiming that the F-16 was downed by a Patriot air-defense system.
While the air force did not directly refute the claim that the F-16 was hit by a Patriot missile, US experts have joined the investigation into the crash. Oleshchuk stated that a detailed analysis was being conducted to determine the cause of the incident. The crash was the first reported loss of an F-16 in Ukraine, where the warplanes had recently been delivered.
Although the F-16s may not significantly alter the course of the war due to Russia’s air superiority, Ukrainian officials welcomed the supersonic jets for their ability to carry modern weapons used by NATO countries. The investigation into the crash is ongoing, with possible causes ranging from pilot error to mechanical failure. Bezuhla, the lawmaker who made the initial claim about the Patriot missile, expressed confidence that the truth would prevail.
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