Ukrainian President Zelenskyy sacks Air Force commander after F-16 tragedy

KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday fired Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk, just a day after a tragic incident in which a US-supplied F-16 fighter jet crashed, resulting in the death of Ukraine’s top pilots, CNN reported.

Zelenskyy said the command level of the Air Force needed to “strengthen,” but did not say whether his decision to sack Oleshchuk was related to the F-16 crash on Monday.

“I am infinitely grateful to all our military pilots, engineers, soldiers of mobile fire groups, air defense units. To everyone who really fights for Ukraine. And it is necessary also at the command level: We must strengthen. And protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers”, the Ukrainian President said in his nightly address on Friday, according to CNN.

Zelenskyy further said that Lieutenant General Anatoliy Kryvonozhka will serve as acting Air Force commander. Meanwhile, Zelenskyy on his X handle shared a video and spoke about the latest Russian strike in Kharkiv and said that rescue operations are going on.

Rescue operations continue in Kharkiv at the sites struck by Russian bombs. Tragically, there are fatalities, including a child—a girl named Sofia, who would have turned 15 this fall. My deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. Many others are injured. Aid is being… pic.twitter.com/ZU9flEw0Pd

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 30, 2024

“Rescue operations continue in Kharkiv at the sites struck by Russian bombs. Tragically, there are fatalities, including a child–a girl named Sofia, who would have turned 15 this fall. My deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. Many others are injured. Aid is being provided to all those affected, and rescuers are doing everything they can to save as many lives as possible. I am grateful to everyone involved in the rescue efforts and to all those who are supporting Kharkiv and its residents”, the post said.

The post further said, “These horrific, cowardly Russian strikes targeted ordinary homes and a city park. Russia will be held accountable for all its evil deeds. But the world must remember that the most effective tactic is to prevent evil from acting in the first place. We need decisions–decisions that our partners can make, decisions from those countries that have the power to ensure we have the capability to destroy Russian military aircraft at their bases, where eliminating these terrorists and their aircraft will be most effective.”

Zelenskyy intensified his criticism of Russia, condemning Vladimir Putin’s reliance on terror as a primary weapon of war and emphasized that Putin’s strategy is built on the intimidation of civilians and stressed on the need to bolster Ukraine’s air defence systems.

“In Ukraine, together with our friends around the world, we’re not just talking about long-range solutions, we’re talking about strong solutions, the kind that can bring this war to an end. For Putin, the most important tool in his wars is terror against civilians — intimidation and cruelty towards people. This is the same evil Russia unleashed in Syria, in Georgia, and now in Ukraine. Their tactics of terror are the same everywhere, and it’s time to put an end to it. This can be achieved through our Ukrainian long-range capabilities, robust support for our Defense Forces, and enhanced air defense systems for Ukraine”, the post said. (ANI)