There are indications that this could be a mistake of the air defense system of Ukraine, which during the repulse of the attack mistook its aircraft for an enemy target
Ukrainian air defense could accidentally shoot down an F-16, – mass media / screenshot from the video
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi dismissed the commander of the Air Force Mykola Oleschuk a few days after the crash of the F-16 fighter jet . The plane could be shot down by friendly fire.
According to The New York Times , citing a Western official who was briefed on the preliminary investigation into the crash, there are “indications” that the plane was shot down by friendly fire from a Patriot missile battery, although mechanical failure and pilot error cannot be ruled out.
The dismissal of the commander of the Air Force, Lieutenant General Oleschuk, was the second high-profile dismissal this year. In February, Zelensky dismissed the top military leader of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny, replacing him with General Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Zelensky did not give a specific reason for the decision, which came a day after Ukraine announced the loss of the F-16, but said it was necessary to strengthen military leadership.
“We need to get stronger. And people need to be taken care of. Take care of the personnel. Take care of all our soldiers,” he said.
The plane crashed on Monday while defending against an intense air attack by Russian forces. The potential for friendly fire incidents becomes particularly acute during mass missile and drone attacks, military experts say.
“It’s hard to keep track of who’s yours and who’s yours, especially when missiles are flying around. Friendly fire is a huge problem,” said Mark Kanchian, senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank in Washington.
Just a few weeks ago, Ukraine received several F-16s. The loss of one so soon after their arrival is a significant blow to Ukraine’s efforts to integrate the aircraft into its military operations and convince NATO allies that the country can effectively deal with sophisticated Western weapons.
During the crash, the pilot of the plane, lieutenant colonel Oleksiy Mes, died. He was one of several Ukrainians who underwent an accelerated training program before going into battle, which experts say is an element of added risk.
The US and Ukraine are already cooperating in the investigation of this issue, and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umyerov held a meeting in Washington.
The planes, delivered after months of pressure from Zelenskyi and other senior officials, are the most famous pieces of military equipment supplied by the country’s allies during the war. Thus, they became a symbol of Ukraine’s defense, and their pilots were considered by many to be national heroes.
In a statement about the crash, the Air Force said only that “contact” with the plane was lost, leaving the details of the crash unclear. Military experts said that while the loss of the plane was a setback, fighter jets often go down, even during peacetime training missions, and that the impact on Ukraine’s overall military effort was likely to be minor.
“Flying these aircraft is a very risky activity,” said Ben Barry, a senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Friendly fire incidents are sadly very common, as well as extremely distressing. In the second Gulf War: (wiki) :
“A U.S. Patriot missile shot down a British Panavia Tornado GR.4A of No. 13 Squadron RAF, killing the pilot and navigator. Investigations showed that the Tornado’s identification friend or foe indicator had malfunctioned and hence it was not identified as a friendly aircraft.”
This could be just one of many reasons why it happened. Zel has already fired his Air Force commander, which seems somewhat hasty.
Friendly fire happens, and it’s always tragic, except when it happens to the roaches, and it happens quite often to them. Let’s hope Ukraine can prevent this sort of thing from happening again.
Friendly fire incidents are sadly very common, as well as extremely distressing. In the second Gulf War: (wiki) :
“A U.S. Patriot missile shot down a British Panavia Tornado GR.4A of No. 13 Squadron RAF, killing the pilot and navigator. Investigations showed that the Tornado’s identification friend or foe indicator had malfunctioned and hence it was not identified as a friendly aircraft.”
This could be just one of many reasons why it happened. Zel has already fired his Air Force commander, which seems somewhat hasty.
Friendly fire happens, and it’s always tragic, except when it happens to the roaches, and it happens quite often to them. Let’s hope Ukraine can prevent this sort of thing from happening again.
I’ve seen this rumor one other place, but as of yet there is no official confirmation.