Ukrainian President Zelenskyy Fires Air Force Commander After Fatal F-16 Jet Crash

Kyiv: One of the few F-16 Jets with Ukraine crashed during a Russian bombardment, killing a pilot.

Following the crash, Ukraine President Zelenskyy has fired the Air Force Commander of the country.

To keep up with the ongoing war with Russia, Ukraine has a handful of F-16 jets given to the country by its western partners.

Zelenskyy Fires Ukraine's Air Force Commander Following F-16 Crash

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the commander of the country’s air force Friday, four days after an F-16 warplane that Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed during a Russian bombardment and killed the pilot.

The order to dismiss Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk was published on the presidential website.

“We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers,” Zelenskyy said in an address minutes after the order was published. He said Ukraine needs to strengthen its army on the command level.

Lt. Gen. Anatolii Kryvonozhko was appointed acting air force commander, the army's general staff said.

The dismissal came on the same day that Oleshchuk directed scathing criticism at a lawmaker who is deputy head of the Ukrainian parliament’s defense committee for her claims that the F-16 was downed by a Patriot air-defense system. Ukraine has received an unspecified number of the U.S.-made systems.

Ukraine's F-16 Jet Crash

The fighter jet went down on Monday, when Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage at Ukraine, a military statement posted on Facebook said. Four of those Russian missiles were shot down by F-16s, the statement said.

The crash was the first reported loss of an F-16 in Ukraine, where they arrived at the end of last month. 

At least six of the warplanes are believed to have been delivered.

(Inputs from AP)