Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk following the loss of a US-manufactured F-16 fighter jet along with its pilot, the presidential office in Kiev announced on Friday.
“I have decided to dismiss the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force,” Zelensky said in his evening video address.
He thanked all members of the air force who achieved results for Ukraine. “This also applies to the command level … we must strengthen ourselves. And take care of people,” he said.
Officially, no reason was given for Oleshchuk’s dismissal, but a connection with the F-16 fighter jet crash seems likely.
The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed on Thursday that one of the few recently delivered F-16 aircraft had been lost in action during a massive Russian airstrike on Monday.
However, Ukrainian lawmakers and activists did not rule out an accidental shootdown by their own air defence.
On Friday, Oleshchuk criticized a member of parliament on Telegram who cast doubt on the official version of the crash.
She was encouraging Russian propaganda, he wrote, and threatened to take her to court. The loss of the aircraft would be investigated, also in cooperation with the US, the country that manufactured it, he added.
The commander had led the Ukrainian air force since 2021. No details have yet been given about his successor.
Ukraine has been defending against Russia’s full-scale invasion, launched in February 2022, with substantial Western support.
After months of waiting, Ukraine had only recently unveiled the first F-16 aircraft at the beginning of this month.
The Netherlands, Denmark and Norway have committed to supplying Kiev with the modern fighter jets.
