Kharkiv
\nPresident Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked the commander of Ukraine\u2019s air force amid debate over the destruction of one of the country\u2019s valuable new F-16 fighter jets.
\nMr Zelensky did not specify the reason for dismissing Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk, but said he had a responsibility to \u201ctake care of all our warriors\u201d.
\nThe US-made F-16 – one of several delivered earlier this month by Ukraine\u2019s Western allies – went down on Monday, killing the pilot.
\nEven 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.
\nRussia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has seized a large part of territory in the east of the country.
\nBut Ukraine also launched a surprise incursion into Russia\u2019s western Kursk region early this month – and says its troops have been advancing deeper into Russia.
\nIn response, Russia has intensified its attacks across Ukraine.
\nOn Friday, a 14-year-old girl was killed after a Russian guided bomb hit a playground in the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, local officials say.
\nAt least six other people were killed and 59 injured as a 12-storey residential building was also hit in the city which is close to the Russian border.
\nPresident Zelensky renewed his calls for all Ukraine\u2019s international partners to allow it to hit targets inside Russia to prevent such attacks.
\nHis office said Moscow\u2019s forces had fired more than 400 drones and missiles at Ukraine over the past week.
\nIn a post on Telegram, Mr Zelensky said he had decided to replace Lt Gen Oleschuk, noting that \u201cat the command level, we must strengthen ourselves and protect our people\u201d.
\nUkraine\u2019s air force earlier named the killed pilot as Col Oleksiy Mes.
\n\u201cHe fought heroically his last battle in the skies,\u201d it said, adding that he had shot down three cruise missiles and a drone on 26 August.
\nCol Mes, whose call sign was Moonfish, was one of Ukraine\u2019s most experienced pilots. He had been trained abroad for F-16 missions.
\nLt Gen Anatolii Kryvonozhko was appointed interim commander of Ukraine\u2019s air force, the army\u2019s general staff said in a statement. He previously oversaw the central air command, leading operations in the centre of the country.
\nHe takes charge as officials have clashed over the loss of the F-16 jet, which has ignited fierce debate in Ukraine.
\nUkrainian politician Mariana Bezuhla, who sits on a parliamentary defence committee, claimed on Thursday that the jet was downed by Ukraine\u2019s Patriot air defence system.
\nMr Oleshchuk responded earlier on Friday that an investigation was under way and no-one was hiding anything. He accused Ms Bezuhla of discrediting military leadership and said the time would come for an apology.
\nAround 65 F-16s have been pledged by Nato countries since US President Joe Biden first authorised willing European allies to send them to Ukraine in August 2023.
\nMr Zelensky has dismissed several military commanders since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
\nIn February this year, he sacked the commander-in-chief of the country\u2019s armed forces, Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
\nAnd in June, he dismissed Lt Gen Yuriy Sodol after public criticism of excessive casualties and accusations of incompetence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kharkiv President Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked the commander of Ukraine\u2019s air force amid debate over the destruction of one of the country\u2019s 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 \u201ctake care of all our warriors\u201d. The US-made […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":428455,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-428433","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n