Dismissal of Ukrainian Air Force Commander Following F-16 Crash

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed the Air Force Commander on Friday, September 9, after the crash of an F-16 fighter jet. Zelensky did not indicate whether his decision to dismiss Oleksandr Oleksiychuk was related to the F-16 crash on Monday, stating, "The command level of the Air Force needs to be strengthened. We must protect the people, our forces, and all soldiers, which is why I appoint General Anatoliy Kryvonozhko as the acting commander of the Air Force." The Ukrainian president also expressed gratitude to "all military pilots, engineers, fire groups, air defense units, and everyone fighting for Ukraine." The Ukrainian military confirmed on Thursday that one of its F-16s crashed "while repelling a major Russian attack" on the previous Monday, stating that the jet went down while approaching a Russian target, resulting in the death of its pilot. This marks the first reported loss of Ukraine's F-16 fleet since the arrival of these American-made aircraft earlier this month. Ukraine had been requesting Western countries for months to send F-16s to help Kyiv defeat Russia's invasion. The first batch of American-made F-16 fighter jets was delivered to Ukraine in July. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on July 21 that the first group of U.S. F-16s had been transferred from Denmark and the Netherlands to Ukraine and would be flying in Ukrainian skies this summer to ensure that Ukraine can effectively defend itself against Russian aggression. U.S. President Joe Biden had previously stated that the United States would begin training Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16s as part of a multinational effort to provide advanced jets to Ukraine.