President Volodymyr Zelensky has sacked the commander of Ukraine’s air force amid debate over the destruction of one of the country’s valuable new F-16 fighter jets.
Mr Zelensky did not specify the reason for dismissing Lt Gen Mykola Oleshchuk, but said he had a responsibility to “take care of all our warriors”.
The US-made F-16 – one of several delivered earlier this month by Ukraine’s Western allies went down on Monday, killing the pilot.
Even though it happened during a barrage of Russian missiles, Ukraine said the cause of the crash was not a direct result of an enemy strike, and Lt Gen Oleshchuk sparred with some politicians over who was to blame for the loss.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and has seized a large part of territory in the east of the country.
But Ukraine also launched a surprise incursion into Russia’s western Kursk region early this month – and says its troops have been advancing deeper into Russia.
In response, Russia has intensified its attacks across Ukraine.
On Friday, a 14-year-old girl was killed after a Russian guided bomb hit a playground in the north-eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, local officials say.
At least six other people were killed and 59 injured as a 12-storey residential building was also hit in the city which is close to the Russian border.
President Zelensky renewed his calls for all Ukraine’s international partners to allow it to hit targets inside Russia to prevent such attacks.
His office said Moscow’s forces had fired more than 400 drones and missiles at Ukraine over the past week.
BBC / Titilayo Kupoliyi
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