Zelensky Fires Air Force Commander As Claims Swirl Around Fatal F-16 Loss

President Volodymyr Zelensky fired the commander of his Air Force days after the loss of one of the nation’s few F-16 Vipers and its revered pilot, who was part of a small cadre of Ukrainian combat aviators who can fly them.

“I have decided to replace the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” he said on Telegram, referring to Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleschuk. “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. And it is necessary at the team level as well – we must strengthen. And protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers.”

Lt. Gen. Anatoliy Kryvonozhko, who held the position of the chief of Air Force Command Center, was appointed acting Air Force Commander, according to the Ukrainian Ukrinform news outlet.

The pilot, Oleksiy Mes, died during Russia’s largest aerial barrage of the war. Before his F-16 went down, Mes, who went by the call sign “Moonfish,” shot down three Russian cruise missiles and a one-way attack drone, Ukrainian Air Force Command West said on Facebook Thursday.

The destruction of one of the small amount of Vipers Ukraine has so far received, thought to be half a dozen jets in total, and the death of one of the few pilots qualified to fly them, has hit the nation hard and sparked controversy over why it happened and whether the actual nature of the incident was covered up.

“Of course, WE WILL FIND OUT THE CAUSES OF THE AVIATION DISASTER,” Oleschuk said on Telegram earlier Friday. “No one has hidden anything and is not hiding anything! All senior management immediately received a report about the disaster. Received a preliminary report and partners from the USA, who have ALREADY JOINED IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE CAUSES.”

The U.S. is assisting the investigation, he added. The jets are designed and produced by Lockheed Martin (formally General Dynamics), an American company, although the F-16AM/BMs Ukraine is receiving were assembled in Europe. Regardless, their transfers must be approved by the United States.

While Zelensky offered no details about why he fired Oleschuk, the now-former Air Force commander’s comments were in response to a statement by a senior member of Ukraine’s parliament that Mes was killed in an act of friendly fire.

“According to my information, the F-16 of the Ukrainian pilot Oleksiy ‘Moonfish’ Mes was shot down by the Patriot anti-aircraft missile complex due to a lack of coordination between the units,” Mariana Bezuhla, deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defense and Intelligence, said on Telegram Thursday.

Bezuhla offered no proof of her claim, which The War Zone cannot independently verify. In its initial announcement about the crash, the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff said “…together with units of anti-aircraft missile troops, F-16 fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were used” to repel Monday’s massive Russian barrage.

Bezuhla also raised questions about how the information regarding the crash was parsed out, suggesting that the Ukrainian Air Force tried to hide the true nature of the incident. Ukrainian officials only confirmed that Mes died in an F-16 crash after media outlets like The Wall Street Journal reported that news on Thursday. The publication cited a source who suggested that the crash was “likely a result of pilot error.” The claim was disputed by Ukrainian officials, according to CNN.

The Air Force “tried to keep silent and hide information about this case until it appeared in foreign sources,” Bezuhla complained. “This indicates a lack of proper conclusions and an objective investigation.”

As we noted in our story about the crash, reports about the death of Mes emerged earlier this week, but there was conflicting information.

Ihor Polishchuk, the mayor of the city of Lutsk, in northwest Ukraine, issued a statement about Mes’ death. However, that was later retracted, along with some news stories about it.

Initially, there were reports that Mes had been killed on the ground, in one of the Russian missile strikes, while other claims suggested he might have been killed while flying a MiG-29. You can see how accounts of the crash evolved in this Twitter thread below.

Ihor Polishchuk, the mayor of Lutsk, informed today that on 26 August 2024, pidpolkovnyk Oleksiy Mes died while performing a combat mission. He was a MiG-29 pilot from the 204 Tactical Aviation Brigade of the Ukrainian Air Force. pic.twitter.com/xJjPLxHu3t

— The Military Watch (@MarcinRogowsk14) August 28, 2024

Oleschuk said there are concerns about releasing sensitive information while the country is fighting Russia.

“Information about such incidents cannot be immediately released into the public space and cannot be detailed for the media. WAR IN THE COUNTRY!” he explained. “But it doesn’t matter to the people who chose Mariana Bezhula as a tool to discredit the top military leadership.”

Beyond the loss of a rare and valuable aircraft that Ukrainian leaders have long requested, the crash killed a face of the Air Force. Mes, one of the first Ukrainian pilots trained to fly Vipers, gave frequent media interviews and constantly advocated for Ukraine to get F-16s. His death came almost exactly a year after the loss of another popular pilot, Major Andrii Pilshchykov, better known by his callsign “Juice.” You can see an interview given by Moonfish and Juice in the video below.

JUST NOW: "Combining the efforts of our fighters, as well as ground air defense, is a really good match. We feel free right now to operate in our airspace.

–"Juice" and "Moonfish." 2 Ukrainian Air Force pilots on their fight against the Russians. pic.twitter.com/S1SLNqRRyl

— John Berman (@JohnBerman) March 24, 2022

Ukrainian journalist and author Illia Ponomarenko, one of his nation’s most well-known people, said a “proper investigation into the death of Colonel Oleksiy “Moonfish” Mes with international involvement is critically necessary, and the Air Force command has just vowed to carry out one. We’re waiting for proper answers on what happened and why.”

Investigation.

A proper investigation into the death of Colonel Oleksiy “Moonfish” Mes’ with international involvement is critically necessary, and the Air Force command has just vowed to carry out one.

We’re waiting for proper answers on what happened and why. pic.twitter.com/tiw2SKI1BU

— Illia Ponomarenko

(@IAPonomarenko) August 30, 2024

We reached out to the Pentagon to learn more details about its role in the investigation and the preliminary report Oleschuk said was submitted.

Lockheed Martin deferred questions to the Ukrainian Air Force.

“We want to express our deepest sympathies to the Ukrainian Air Force and the family of the pilot,” the company told us. “We’re standing by to support if requested. We must refer you to the Ukrainian Air Force for additional questions or information.”

Zelensky didn’t mention what will happen with the investigation now that Oleschuk has been fired, but it will almost certainly continue without him.

Regardless of what caused the crash or why Oleschuk was replaced, there are lessons to be learned and many questions that need answers.

We will report the investigation’s findings if and when they are made public.

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