ZELENSKY FIRES AIR FORCE COMMANDER A DAY AFTER F-16 JET CRASH. (PHOTO).

 Zelensky Fires Air Force Commander A Day After F-16 Jet Crash

President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Ukraine's Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk on Friday, according to a presidential decree.

The dismissal was announced just a day after the Ukrainian military reported that an F-16 jet crashed and its pilot died while repelling a major Russian strike on Monday.

"I have decided to replace the commander of the Air Forces... I am eternally grateful to all our military pilots," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address.

He did not give a reason for dismissal but mentioned that personnel must be protected, and that there was a need to strengthen the command level.

“We need to protect people. Protect personnel. Take care of all our soldiers,” Zelensky said in an address minutes after the order was published. He said Ukraine needs to strengthen its army on the command level.

Ukraine's General Staff said that General Lieutenant Anatoliy Kryvonozhka would temporarily perform the duties of commander.

F-16s are one of the weapons that could be used to hit Russian bases behind the front line.

Oleshchuk said on Telegram that “a detailed analysis” was already being conducted into why the F-16 jet went down Monday, when Russia launched a major missile and drone barrage at Ukraine.

“We must carefully understand what happened, what the circumstances are, and whose responsibility it is,” Oleshchuk wrote in the post.

The crash was the first reported loss of an F-16 in Ukraine, where the warplanes arrived at the end of last month. At least six are believed to have been delivered by European countries.

Military analysts say the planes will not be a game-changer in the war, given Russia’s massive air force and sophisticated air defense systems. But Ukrainian officials welcomed the supersonic jets, which can carry modern weapons used by NATO countries, for offering an opportunity to hit back at Russia’s air superiority.