Ukrainian Air Force commander dismissed after F-16 fighter jet crash.

The dismissals were announced just one day after the Ukrainian military reported that a modern F-16 fighter jet, supplied to Ukraine by the West, had crashed and its pilot had died while repelling a major Russian airstrike on Monday.

"I have decided to replace the Air Force Commander... I am extremely grateful to all our military pilots," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced in his regular evening online video address.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stands next to an F-16 fighter jet. Photo: Reuters

Zelenskyy did not give a reason for the dismissal but mentioned that personnel needed protection and that there was a need to strengthen the command structure. The Ukrainian General Staff announced that Lieutenant General Anatoliy Kryvonozhka would temporarily assume command of the Ukrainian Air Force.

The Ukrainian military did not give a reason for Monday's crash but said the fighter jet, which Kyiv had gone to great lengths to secure Western aid for, crashed while approaching a Russian target. Oleshchuk said on Monday that partners from the United States were helping investigate the incident.

A U.S. defense official said the crash did not appear to have been caused by Russian fire, and the cause, which may have been pilot error or a mechanical malfunction, is still under investigation.

The arrival of the first F-16 fighter jets was a significant milestone for Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, as Kyiv believed it could balance air power with Moscow if it acquired these modern, American-made fighters.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tu-lenh-khong-quan-ukraine-bi-cach-chuc-sau-vu-tiem-kich-f-16-roi-post310085.html