Ukrainian Air Force Commander Dismissed After F-16 Fighter Jet Destroyed in Friendly Fire Incident

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk following the destruction of an American F-16 fighter jet due to friendly fire.

According to Russian media, President Zelensky has replaced Oleshchuk with Lieutenant General Anatoliy Kravonoz as the acting commander.

It has been claimed that the American F-16 fighter jet, provided to Ukraine, was accidentally targeted and destroyed by Ukraine’s own Patriot anti-aircraft missile system.

Yesterday, the Ukrainian military confirmed the destruction of the F-16 jet, stating that the pilot was also killed in the incident.

The Ukrainian military reported that contact with the F-16 jet was lost during an operation to thwart a Russian attack. Before losing contact, the F-16 had successfully shot down four Russian cruise missiles and was advancing towards its next target.

It is noteworthy that Ukraine had only recently received six F-16 fighter jets from the United States earlier this month. President Zelensky had announced on August 4th that the F-16 jets were now in use by Ukrainian pilots.