Getty ImagesPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has fired Ukraine’s air force commander amid controversy over the destruction of one of the country’s valuable new F-16 fighter jets.
Mr Zelensky did not specify the reason for firing Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, but said he was responsible for “taking care of all our soldiers”.
The US-made F-16 – one of several delivered by Ukraine’s Western allies earlier this month – crashed on Monday, killing the pilot.
Although the incident occurred amid a barrage of Russian missiles, Ukraine insists the crash was not a direct result of enemy attack, and Lieutenant General Oleshchuk has argued with a number of politicians over who is responsible for the loss.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has seized large parts of the country’s eastern territory.
But earlier this month, Ukraine also launched a surprise attack on Russia’s western Kursk region – and said its troops had advanced deeper into Russian territory.
In response, Russia has stepped up attacks across Ukraine.
A 14-year-old girl was killed on Friday after a Russian-made guided bomb hit a playground in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, local officials said.
At least six others were killed and 59 injured when a 12-storey apartment building was also attacked in the city near the Russian border.
President Zelensky called on all of Ukraine’s international partners to authorize strikes on targets inside Russia to prevent such attacks.
His office said Moscow forces had fired more than 400 drones and missiles into Ukraine in the past week.
In a Telegram post, Mr Zelensky said he had decided to replace Lieutenant General Oleschuk, noting that “at the command level we must strengthen ourselves and protect our people”.
The Ukrainian Air Force previously identified the deceased pilot as Colonel Oleksiy Mes.
“He fought bravely in the final battle in the sky,” the report said, adding that he shot down three cruise missiles and a drone on August 26.
Colonel Mes, nicknamed Moonfish, is one of Ukraine’s most experienced pilots. He was trained abroad for F-16 missions.
Lieutenant General Anatolii Kryvonozhko has been appointed interim commander of the Ukrainian air force, the military general staff said in a statement. He previously oversaw the central air force command, which oversees operations in the central part of the country.
He took on the role as officials disagreed over the loss of an F-16 jet, an event that sparked a heated debate in Ukraine.
Ukrainian politician Mariana Bezuhla, a member of parliament’s defense committee, said on Thursday that the jet was shot down by Ukraine’s Patriot air defense system.
Mr Oleshchuk responded earlier on Friday that an investigation was underway and that no one was hiding anything. He accused Ms Bezuhla of discrediting the military leadership and said it was time to apologize.
Some 65 F-16s have been pledged by NATO countries since US President Joe Biden first authorized European allies to send them to Ukraine in August 2023.
Mr Zelensky has fired several military commanders since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022.
In February of this year, he fired commander in chief of the country’s armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
And in June, He fired Lieutenant General Yuriy Sodol. after public criticism over the high number of casualties and accusations of incompetence.
