2024-08-31 03:40:39
The Ukrainian Air Force is hiring a new commander after the loss of an F-16 fighter jet. President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has dismissed Air Force Chief Mykola Oleshchuk. Although no reason has been officially given, the connection with the loss of the valuable aircraft of the Sun with the pilot is clear. Anatoly Kryvonoshko was appointed chief executive officer, the General Staff announced.
“I would probably say this is a twist, but it’s unfortunate,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov said in an interview with CNN when asked if the cancellation had to do with the loss of the fighter jet. These are two “different words”. Umjerow stressed that the investigation is ongoing on what happened. “I don’t want to make assumptions.”
Only on Thursday did the General Staff confirm that one of the few F-16 fighter jets was lost in action against the massive Russian airstrike on Monday. There is a crash issue. However, Ukrainian parliamentarians and activists did not rule out a random attack by their own air defense.
A Russian airstrike on the city of Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine killed at least six people on Friday. Soon after, from across the border in the city of Belgorod in Russia, we heard that five people had been killed by the massacre of Ukrainians.
Saturday night also started with a wind alert for the northeast of Ukraine near the front. According to the Air Force, Russian combat drones flew over Ukraine. The country has been fending off a major Russian attack for two and a half years.
Was the Ukrainian F-16 shot down by its own air defenses?
“I have decided to fire the commander of the Air Force of Ukraine,” Zelensky said in his evening video address on Friday. He thanked all the members of the Air Force who really achieved results for Ukraine. “This also applies to the command level. We have to be stronger. And take care of our people.”
Shortly before his removal, Oleshchuk criticized a member of parliament who cast doubt on the official version of the crash. He wrote that this woman was fighting Russian propaganda and threatened to take her to court. The loss of the device is being investigated, also in cooperation with the US manufacturing country. Defense politician Marjana Besuhla wrote on the X social network that the plane was shot down by the Ukrainian Patriot anti-aircraft system due to lack of coordination.
Tote in Charkiw was born in Belgorod
According to official information, at least five people were killed by an attack from the Ukrainian side in the Russian city of Belgorod near the border on Friday. At least 37 were injured, including 6 children, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said. Because the Russian army uses the Belgorod border area as a starting point for its attacks on Kharkiv, the area is often bombarded by the Ukrainian side.
A Russian airstrike killed six people in Kharkiv, including a 14-year-old girl. According to military governor Oleh Synjehubov, at least 40 people were injured. According to official information, guided air bombs hit, among other things, a twelve-story residential building, which partially collapsed.
“The destruction that will not happen if our security forces have the opportunity to destroy the Russian military aircraft where they are based,” Zelensky said in a message on Telegram. In view of the destruction, he also called for the release of the weapons of the U -a big hit to targets in Russia.
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