Ukrainian air commander fired after F-16 downed

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy decided to replace Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk, he said Friday in a statement. He did not immediately name a new air commander, or state the reason for the dismissal. He did acknowledge fierce fighting with Russia, on the front lines and in the air.

The commander’s dismissal came after news that an F-16 was downed while the newly-received fighter jets worked with anti-aircraft units to counter a Russian missile attack, Ukraine’s Army said on Thursday. The pilot died, and an investigation is looking into the wreck, the army added.

What’s the significance of the one plane going down? It’s the first F-16 Ukraine has reported losing since receiving the jets earlier this month. Kyiv only obtained the jets after extensive lobbying efforts and negotiations, Zelenskyy has said.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Thursday she had seen reports about the incident but wasn’t aware of any requests to the United States from Ukraine related to the incident.

What else is happening on the battlefield? All of Ukraine’s objectives in the Russian Kursk region are being met, Zelenskyy said on Thursday. Ukrainian forces stormed into the region earlier this month and have continued fighting there for weeks. Ukrainian forces had lost nearly 400 soldiers in the area during the past day, Russian state media reported. Kyiv has lost more than 7,000 soldiers total in Kursk, the report added.

The Kremlin also claimed credit for more than a dozen precision strikes on Ukrainian airfields and power plants, according to another state media report. Meanwhile Russian forces, in all areas across the front line, lost 1,200 troops in the past day, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported on Friday. The Kremlin also lost dozens of armored and artillery units, the ministry said.

Dig deeper: Read William Inboden’s column in WORLD Opinions about how the Cold War is once again revved up and running hot.