Zelensky sacks air force boss after Ukraine ‘shot down F-16 jet killing pilot in friendly fire blunder with US missile’
PRESIDENT Zelensky has sacked the head of his air force after an F-16 was shot down in a suspected friendly fire blunder.
Ukraine lost its first F-16 fighter jet and a star captain after the high-tech plane was shot down with a US Patriot missile.
Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk was removed hours after he clashed with with an MP who said the F-16 was shot down by a friendly fire missile.
In a statement on Telegram Zelensky said: “I decided to replace the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“I am infinitely grateful to all our military pilots, engineers, soldiers of mobile fire groups, air defense calculations.
“To everyone who really fights for Ukraine - for the result.
read more in Ukraine war
“And it is necessary at the team level as well - we must strengthen. And protect people. Protect personnel.
“Take care of all our soldiers. Glory to Ukraine!”
Commanders lost contact with heroic pilot Moonfish during a massive Russian missile bombardment this week.
The lieutenant colonel - whose real name is Oleksii Mes, 31 – had shot down three cruise missiles and a Russian drone before roaring off to a second engagement.
Most read in The Sun
The F-16 had "demonstrated high efficiency" in its takedown of the enemy, the Ukrainian General Staff said.
But tragically the jet was later found crashed on Monday with officials saying an anti-aircraft missile system shot Moonfish out of the sky by accident.
Government MP Maryana Bezugla said: “According to my information, the F-16 of the Ukrainian pilot Oleksii ‘Moonfish’ Mes was shot down by the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system due to a lack of coordination between the [military] units.”
It was previously believed the pilot was killed in a Russian missile strike on an airbase.
Russian sources said he was struck in a bombardment on a Ukrainian air base on August 26.
Tributes to Moonfish were made on social media after he died with Lutsk Mayor Ihor Polishchuk saying he was fighting to "protect the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine".
His funeral was held in Shepetivka on Thursday as part of a Day of Remembrance.
Touching images show his casket draped in a Ukrainian flag and surrounded by flowers at the rite of burial.
Dozens of his family, friends and fellow troops were seen breaking down in tears at the moving ceremony.
Ukraine’s Air Force Command spoke on his death saying: “Oleksii Mes was a strong and dedicated warrior, a highly skilled pilot, a leader on the ground and in the sky, a good friend, a loving son, father, husband, and a patriot of his country.
“A pair of MiG-29 fighters paid their respects from the sky. Oleksii's comrades-in-arms flew over the procession.
“By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Lieutenant Colonel Oleksiy Mes was posthumously promoted to the rank of Colonel.
“We have lost a reliable friend and a strong warrior."
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said she could not confirm if the jet was downed by the Patriot system or not.
However Mykola Oleshchuk, commander of Ukraine's air force, has said they are working with the US on the investigation.
A number of F-16s jets soared into the skies on Sunday to intercept Russian rockets and drones.
Moscow unleashed more than 300 missiles and drones, including Kinzhal hypersonic missiles, Iranian Shahed one-way attack drones and submarine launched Kalibr cruise missiles.
The Russian attacks were one of the biggest attacks of the war and caused “significant damage” to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky revealed: “We shot down some missiles with the help of F-16s.”
Zelensky confirmed on August 4 that his pilots had started flying F-16s.
He hailed the moment as a major milestone in the fight against the invasion Russia launched at the start of 2022.
Allied forces have pledged more than 90 F-16s to bolster Ukraine’s air defences.
But only a handful have been delivered so far.
F-16s were highly sought after by Ukraine for their capacity to take out ground targets, provide cover, intercept missiles and take on enemy planes in dogfights.
They are the most sophisticated American-supplied weapon of the war.
But there have been concerns over whether Ukraine could train up enough pilots in time to effectively deploy them in their fight for land.
A desperate Vladimir Putin is reportedly even offering huge cash incentives - as much as £124,000 - for troops to take down the Western aircraft.
It comes as Russians told The Sun they never thought about the bloodbath war raging on their doorstep until Kyiv’s lightning assault into Kursk brought the conflict crashing home.
The Sun stepped into sovereign Russia – despite Kremlin threats to kill or convict us – to speak to ordinary Russians left stranded by their soldiers’ humiliating retreat.
Why are F-16s so important?
F-16s are fourth generation fighter planes - the second most advanced type used by the West.
Also known as the Fighting Falcon or Viper, the multi-role planes are the most popular fighter jet in the world - with nearly 4,500 deployed.
The planes can hit speeds of Mach 2 - around 1,350mph - and can carry 17,000lbs worth of missiles and bombs.
Alongside their devastating 10mm Vulcan rotary cannons, the planes can be equipped with weapons such as Sidewinder and Maverick missiles as well as Paveway bombs.
Retired US Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton previously said the fighter planes would be a "game changer" for Ukraine.
"Its really versatile and can be used in many different ways," he told .
"And it's also an aircraft that can potentially use its electronic jamming capability to go after some of the Russian radars.
"It's a very important aircraft, it's probably the best aircraft for all the different capabilities the Ukrainians could want, and its probably the only aircraft that has all those in one package."
KURSK OFFENSIVE CONTINUES
Kyiv's troops have now captured 100 towns in the shock surge into Kursk that caught the Russians off-guard, it's claimed.
Military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi also said his men had seized nearly 600 Russian soldiers.
The Ukrainians claim to now control 500 square miles of the region in the biggest takeover of Russian soil since the Nazis invaded in World War Two.
Russian reports earlier in the week said Ukraine attempted a bold secondary invasion into the neighbouring Belgorod region.
Moscow claimed to have the Belgorod border "under control" but admitted it was "difficult".
Pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Shot said the Ukrainians were pushed back but kept firing at Russian checkpoints.
Russia's slowed response to the Kursk invasion comes with Vlad said to be reluctant to pull many troops from Ukraine as he tries to dig deeper into the country's east.
But Putin has found another 30,000 troops to rush into Kursk, also appearing to call in reinforcements from Russia-friendly Belarus.
A worrying subplot to the fierce fighting in Kursk has been the fate of the region's nuclear power plant.
The chief of the United Nations' nuclear agency this week flew in to inspect the site, which is located about 25 miles from the heat of battle.
International Atomic Energy Agency boss Rafael Grossi warned there is a "danger or possibility of a nuclear accident" that could cause "serious consequences".
Heightening fears is the fact that the plant is not covered by a protective roof, meaning a strike on it could be devastating.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The Zaporizhzhia plant in Ukraine has also been the subject of nuclear concern since the early days of the war, with the Russians and Ukrainians both accusing each other of endangering it.
But those fears have not been realised amid desperate hopes of avoiding a Chernobyl-style disaster.
