Did Ukrainian air defenses shoot down US prized F-16 warplane?
3 Min Read
US military officials claim that friendly fire via a Ukrainian air defense battery is unlikely to have caused the F-16 fighter jet to crash, amid conflicting reports.
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy answers media questions standing against the background of Ukraine's Air Force's F-16 fighter jets in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on August 4, 2024. (AP)
The F-16 fighter jet downed over Ukraine is unlikely to have been shot down by friendly fire from the Ukrainian Armed Forces, The New York Times reported, citing US military officials.
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces admitted that it lost one of the six F-16 fighter jets, which it had just recently received from its Western allies, on August 29.
Conflicting reports have emerged since the incident, which coincided with a large-scale multi-layered attack launched by Russian forces against Ukrainian targets.
The Wall Street Journal had previously said that the F-16 crashed due to "pilot error", as it was reported that the fighter jet was attempting to down a one-way attack drone. Meanwhile, Ukrainian lawmaker, Maryana Bezuhla, said that the jet had been shot down by a Patriot air defense battery, due to a failure in coordination between the units.
Bezuhla's remarks sparked controversy in Ukraine, prompting accusations against her of serving Russian interests.
Several units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have been mired in incompetence and corruption that has long plagued Kiev.
On August 30, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sacked the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Air Force, Mykola Oleshchuk. The reasons for the resignation were not given, but on August 31, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov commented on the dismissal, calling it a "rotation" unrelated to the recent crash.
The Ukrainian President announced on Friday evening that Lieutenant General Anatoly Krivonozhko has been appointed as the acting commander of the military
Read more: One of Kiev's US-made F-16s crashes in Ukraine; 'pilot error' blamed
Death of pilot further complicates F-16 transfers
Moreover, the F-16's crash killed its pilot, Aleksey ‘Moonfish’ Mes, which Kiev only revealed on Thursday, adding that the accident was under investigation.
On August 4, Zelensky claimed that the first batch of the promised 80 F-16s had landed in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force would not disclose specific numbers, but a second US source claimed six aircraft had arrived and Ukraine had six pilots qualified to fly them.
Earlier, Politico reported that Western efforts to train Ukrainian pilots to fly advanced F-16 jets were being hampered by the service members’ poor English language skills. According to sources, of Ukraine's 32 pilots, only 8 had enough English proficiency to partake in a future training program.
Read more: Bounty offered for first F-16 downed in Ukraine war
