Ukraine Air Force head Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk, dismissed by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Friday

Friday’s Coverage: Tributes to Slain F-16 Pilot “Moonfish”

Map: Institute for the Study of War

UPDATE 1123 GMT:

The Biden Administration has reportedly rejected a proposal to send American contractors to Ukraine to service Western military equipment, including F-16 fighter jets.

The National Security Council considered the proposal, but “the intelligence community has expressed concern about the prospect of Russia targeting U.S. contractors in Ukraine”, said an American official.

<

The Administration is expecting Ukrainians to service the F-16 independently,with European countries will taking on much or all of the responsibility for maintenance.

The Wall Street Journal says the Netherlands will pay for a contract between a private civilian company and the Ukrainian army to service the fighter jet.

UPDATE 1112 GMT:

Russian officials say an attack has killed five people and injured 46 others in the city of Belgorod, in the west of the country near the Ukraine border.

Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said 37 people, including seven children, were taken to hospital. Ten are in critical condition.

The governor said the attack caused significant property damage, including shattered windows and damaged facades in residential buildings and businesses.

UPDATE 1006 GMT:

Ukraine air defenses downed 24 of 52 Iran-type drone launched by Russia overnight across eight regions.

Another 25 UAVs fell without causing casualties or major damage. Three flew towards Russia and Belarus.

In Kyiv, facing its fourth attack this week, alerts lasted for around four hours.

UPDATE 0708 GMT:

Ukraine has recorded more than 4,000 cases of Russia use of chemical agents on the frontline.

Ukraine’s Support Forces said more than 3,100 cases have occurred since December 2023.

The numbers indicate a stark increase in the use of illegal chemical agents, marking a sharp uptick from about 600 recorded uses as of January, Ukraine’s military reported.

A record high of 715 cases were reported in May 2024.

UPDATE 0546 GMT:

At least seven civilians, including a 14-year-old girl, have been killed and at least 97, including 22 children, wounded by Russian bombing of a 12-story residential building and a playground in Kharkiv city in northeast Ukraine.

Around 20 of the wounded are in critical or serious condition.

The Russians used five “glide bombs”, launched by warplanes from Russia’s Belgorod region, in the attack.

In his nightly address to the nation, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy spoke of the casualties and rescue operations, and renewed his appeal to partners to allow Ukraine to strike Russian airbases and launch sites with long-range weapons.

These horrific, cowardly Russian strikes targeted ordinary homes and a city park. Russia will be held accountable for all its evil deeds. But the world must remember that the most effective tactic is to prevent evil from acting in the first place. We need decisions—decisions that our partners can make, decisions from those countries that have the power to ensure we have the capability to destroy Russian military aircraft at their bases, where eliminating these terrorists and their aircraft will be most effective.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has fired the head of the air force, Gen. Mykola Oleshchuk.

Zelenskiy said in his nightly address to the nation, “I have decided to replace the commander of the air forces….I am eternally grateful to all our military pilots.”

He did not give a reason for the dismissial. However, it came a day after the revelation of the death of senior pilot Oleksiy Mes in the crash of a recently-delivered F-16 fighter jet.

Zelenskiy said it was necessary to protect the lives of those defending Ukraine.

I thank everyone who is really fighting for Ukraine — for the result. And it is also necessary at the command level. We must strengthen ourselves. And we must take care of people. Take care of the personnel. Take care of all our soldiers.

A special investigation committee has been established for Monday’s crash, during the largest Russian missile and drone strike of its 30-month invasion, but the Ukrainian military said pilot error was not the cause.

A US official said the F-16, one of six delivered by Netherlands and Denmark to Ukraine after months of delays and protracted negotiations, did not appear to have been hit by Russian fire. He did not rule out pilot error as well as mechanical failure. Before his removal, Oleshchuk said that Ukraine had received a preliminary report from the Americans.

Zelenskiy appointed Lt. General Anatolii Kryvonozhko, commander of the Central Air Command, as the acting Air Force head.