Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force. The move comes four days after an F-16 fighter jet received from its Western partners was downed in a Russian bombing attack. The pilot of the fighter plane was killed in the accident. Al Jazeera news.
Mykola Oleshchuk’s dismissal was announced on a Ukrainian government website Friday local time. Soon after, Zelensky said in a statement, “People must protect us.” Workers must be protected. We have to take care of all the soldiers. He also said that the Ukrainian army needs to strengthen the command level.
The General Staff of the Army said that Lieutenant General Anatoly Kravonozhaka will temporarily serve as the Air Force Commander.
However, the cause of the accident is not yet certain. An investigation into the incident has been initiated. The Air Force of Ukraine said US experts have joined the investigation.
A US defense official told Reuters the plane did not appear to have been hit by a Russian strike. All possible causes, from pilot failure to mechanical failure, are being investigated.
A shipment of F-16 fighter jets arrived in Ukraine last month. Ukraine received six such warplanes from the European Union. However, due to the crash of one of them, Kiev suffered a lot.
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