President Zelensky fires Mykola Oleshchuk, says country needs to 'protect staff'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired the country's air force commander, four days after an F-16 warplane Ukraine received from its Western partners crashed during a Russian airstrike, killing the pilot.
The order to remove Mykola Oleshchuk from office was published on the presidential website on Friday.
“We need to protect people, protect personnel, take care of all our soldiers,” Zelenskyy said in a speech minutes after the order was published. He said Ukraine needs to strengthen its military at the command level.
Anatolii Kryvonozhko has been appointed acting commander of the Air Force, the Army General Staff said.
The dismissal came on the same day that Oleshchuk sharply criticized a lawmaker who is deputy chairwoman of the Ukrainian parliament's defense committee for her claims that the F-16 was shot down by a Patriot air defense system. Ukraine has received an unspecified number of the U.S.-made air defense systems.
Mariana Bezuhla cited anonymous sources for her claim and demanded punishment for those responsible for the error.
Oleshchuk accused Bezuhla of defaming the air force and discrediting American weapons manufacturers and said he expected him to face legal consequences for his claims.
“The truth will win,” Bezuhla posted on X shortly after the firing order was published.
The Air Force did not directly deny that the F-16 was shot down by a Patriot missile.
U.S. experts have joined the Ukrainian investigation into the crash, the air force said.
A U.S. defense official told Reuters news agency the crash did not appear to be the result of Russian fire and that possible causes ranging from pilot error to mechanical failure were still being investigated.
F-16s are one of the weapons that could be used to attack Russian bases behind the front line.
Oleshchuk said on Telegram that a “detailed analysis” was already underway into why the F-16 jet went down on Monday, when Russia launched a massive missile and drone barrage against Ukraine.
“We need to carefully understand what happened, what the circumstances are and who is responsible,” Oleshchuk wrote in the post shortly before his dismissal.
This is the first loss of an F-16 in Ukraine, where the jets arrived late last month. At least six of them are believed to have been delivered by European countries.
Military analysts have said the planes will not be a game-changer in the war, given Russia's massive air force and sophisticated air defense systems. But Ukrainian officials have applauded the supersonic jets, which can carry modern weapons used by NATO countries, because they offer a chance to counter Russia's air superiority.
