Zelenskyy dismisses air force commander after fatal F-16 crash

Days after a fatal crash involving an F-16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fired the head of the country’s air force, Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk. The Ukrainian fighter pilot, known as “Moonfish,“ died in the crash Monday during a Russian missile attack. Oleksiy Mes’ death is a major blow to Ukraine, as he was just one of six Ukrainian air force pilots qualified to fly an F-16, which started arriving in the country in early August. “We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers,” Zelenskyy said, according to an Associated Press translation of an address made after the official order. More here: Photo: Efrem Lukatsky/AP ------------------------------------- Join our newsletter at Follow us on Facebook: Follow us on Twitter: Follow us on Instagram: Follow us on TikTok: @scrippsnews