President Zelensky sacks Ukraine air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk

The move came four days after an F-16 fighter jet from Nato allies went down during a Russian barrage.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersZelensky sacks Ukraine air force chief after F-16 crashGetty ImagesLt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk was sacked the day amid debates over the downing of an F-16 fighter jet President Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked the commander of Ukraine's air force amid debate over the destruction of one of the country's valuable new F-16 fighter jets.

Mr Zelensky did not specify the reason for dismissing Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk, but said he had a responsibility to "take care of all our warriors".

The US-made F-16 - one of several delivered earlier this month by Ukraine's Western allies - went down on Monday, killing the pilot.

Even though it happened during a barrage of Russian missiles, Ukraine said the cause of the crash was not a direct result of an enemy strike, and Lt Gen Oleshchuk sparred with some politicians over who was to blame for the loss.

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has seized a large part of territory in the east of the country.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1m0jvd4m3zo

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