Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday dismissed the country’s air force chief, a day after Kyiv said a US-made F-16 fighter plane had crashed in combat, killing the pilot.
In a video message Zelensky said he had “decided to replace the commander of the air force” to strengthen Ukraine’s military leadership.
His office earlier published a presidential decree to officially remove Mykola Oleshchuk from the post.
The crash of the F-16 was a high-profile setback for Kyiv, which had lobbied the West to send the advanced aircraft for months.
It was the first reported loss, just weeks after Ukraine first started taking delivery of the supersonic aircraft.