President Zelenskyy dismisses Mykola Oleshchuk, says nation must ‘shield personnel’.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fired the commander of the nation’s air pressure, 4 days after an F-16 warplane that Ukraine obtained from its Western companions crashed throughout a Russian bombardment and killed the pilot.
The order to dismiss Mykola Oleshchuk was revealed on the presidential web site on Friday.
“We have to shield folks. Defend personnel. Deal with all our troopers,” Zelenskyy mentioned in an handle minutes after the order was revealed. He mentioned Ukraine must strengthen its military on the command stage.
Anatolii Kryvonozhko was appointed performing air pressure commander, the military’s basic employees mentioned.
The dismissal got here on the identical day that Oleshchuk directed scathing criticism at a lawmaker who’s deputy head of the Ukrainian parliament’s defence committee for her claims that the F-16 was downed by a Patriot air-defense system. Ukraine has obtained an unspecified variety of the US-made programs.
Mariana Bezuhla cited unnamed sources for her declare and demanded punishment for these answerable for the error.
Oleshchuk accused Bezuhla of defaming the air pressure and discrediting US arms producers and mentioned that he hoped she would face authorized penalties for her claims.
“The reality will win,” Bezuhla posted on X shortly after the dismissal order was revealed.
The air pressure didn’t immediately deny that the F-16 was hit by a Patriot missile.
US specialists have joined the Ukrainian investigation into the crash, the air pressure mentioned.
A US defence official advised the Reuters information company that the crash didn’t seem like the results of Russian fireplace, and doable causes from pilot error to mechanical failure have been nonetheless being investigated.
F-16s are one of many weapons that could possibly be used to hit Russian bases behind the entrance line.
Oleshchuk mentioned on Telegram that “an in depth evaluation” was already being performed into why the F-16 jet went down Monday, when Russia launched a significant missile and drone barrage at Ukraine.
“We should fastidiously perceive what occurred, what the circumstances are, and whose accountability it’s,” Oleshchuk wrote within the publish shortly earlier than his dismissal.
The crash was the primary reported lack of an F-16 in Ukraine, the place the warplanes arrived on the finish of final month. A minimum of six are believed to have been delivered by European international locations.
Navy analysts have mentioned the planes is not going to be a game-changer within the battle, given Russia’s huge air pressure and complicated air defence programs. However Ukrainian officers welcomed the supersonic jets, which might carry trendy weapons utilized by NATO international locations, for providing a possibility to hit again at Russia’s air superiority.
