USA fuels new speculation

The crash of an F-16 over Ukraine raises various questions. Even before a commission has investigated the incident, new speculations are circulating.

Kiev – An F-16 fighter jet has crashed for the first time in Ukraine. The pilot was killed in the incident last month. Apparently, the pilot was chasing a Russian cruise missile. “I would like to say that the pilot who died fired two missiles and was chasing the third cruise missile with his on-board weapons,” General Oleksandr Syrskyi told CNNNo further details were given about the cause of the fatal incident during the first officially confirmed use of the F-16 fighter jet, as the investigation is still ongoing.

F-16 fighter jet crashed due to friendly fire from Ukraine? USA fuels speculation

In Kiev, speculation continues about the cause of the F-16 crash. According to Newsweek Ukrainian MP Mariana Bezugla, who sits on the parliament’s defense committee, said the F-16 fighter jet was shot down by a Patriot air defense system. US defense officials also said Russian fire does not appear to be the culprit and pointed to other possible reasons such as mechanical failure or pilot error. However, a commission of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry is investigating the case and is expected to announce its findings to Syrskyi shortly.

The incident is apparently a top priority for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The man who was fired after the F-16 fighter jet crashed bypassed the commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk.

Deployment of F-16 fighter jets over Russia: An important tool for Kiev in the Ukraine war

Kiev announced in August that it would also deploy the F-16 fighter jets supplied by the West over Russian territory and is expecting new deliveries of the fighter aircraft. However, the Kremlin seems unmoved by this. According to the Kremlin’s assessment, the delivery of F-16 fighter jets by NATO countries to Ukraine will not have a significant impact on events at the front. “The number of these aircraft will gradually dwindle, they will be shot down,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. “Of course, these deliveries will not have a significant impact on events at the front.”