Ukraine's Air Force commander comments on F-16 crash
Commander of Ukraine's Air Force Mykola Oleshchuk (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
On August 26, the day of the massive Russian shelling, Ukraine lost an F-16 fighter jet and one of the best Ukrainian pilots, Oleksii Mes. The causes of the crash are under investigation, according to the commander of the Air Force Mykola Oleshchuk.
Oleshchuk says the command does not hide losses, and all senior management immediately received a report on the crash. Kyiv's partners, along with the United States, who have already joined the investigation into the cause of the crash, also received a preliminary report.
“I assure you that a detailed analysis is already underway, and an investigation is underway. We have to thoroughly understand what happened, the circumstances, and whose responsibility it is. And this will be done,” Oleshchuk added.
Yesterday, August 29, Ukrainian MP Mariana Bezuhla said that, according to her information, the F-16 was “shot down by a Patriot anti-aircraft missile system due to discoordination between units.”
Today, on August 30, she reproached the Air Force commander for his “silence” and claimed that this was “at least the third time” that Ukrainian aircraft have been shot down by their own air defense.
“The two previous incidents, which did not involve F-16s, were officially attributed to the Russians. They also tried to keep silent about this incident and hide the information until it appeared in foreign sources,” she said, adding that "classic generals" are leading Ukraine to defeat.
Oleshchuk's response
The Air Force commander says that in times of war, relevant information cannot be immediately released to the public.
“But this does not matter to the people who chose Mariana Bezuhla as a tool to discredit the top military leadership. It will not be possible to pin everything on the army,” he added.
Oleshchuk accused Bezuhla of “dumping mud” on him and the Air Force, discrediting American arms manufacturers and becoming a newsmaker for enemy propaganda.
F-16 crash
Yesterday, August 29, The Wall Street Journal reported that one of the F-16 fighter jets crashed in Ukraine. RBC-Ukraine asked the Air Force for comment, but they neither confirmed nor denied the information.
A short time later, the Air Force reported the death of pilot Oleksii Mes, and the General Staff of the Armed Forces confirmed the loss of the F-16.
