Ukrainian air force chief responds to MP’s misleading F-16 crash claims
Source: Mykola Oleschuk/Telegram
Ukrainian Air Force commander Mykola Oleschuk has hit back at ‘Servant of the People’ MP Maryana Bezuhla’s after she claimed the military were holding back the truth that the crash of the F-16 fighter and the death of its pilot Oleksii Mies happened due to the Patriot system friendly fire.
The lawmaker alleged that Ukraine had had at least three such incidents with the Ukrainian military trying to cover it up by saying the planes had been downed by Russia.
In an attempt to do the damage control, Oleschuk said investigation is currently underway. “We will find out what happened, the circumstances, and who is responsible. ” he said.
He aslo clapped back at Bezuhla over what he called ‘discrediting the top military command”. Bezuhla is ‘receiving applause” in Russia where propagandists watch with glee her throwing a shade at Ukrainian air defenses and American arms manufacturers.
“Blaming the [Ukrainian] military won’t work. I call on the lawmaker, who has long sold her name for these vile purposes, to be ready to apologize to the military. Time will come when, I hope, she will apologize in court!” he added.
After the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine witnessed an unprecedented wave of private support for the army. Citizens, big businesses, charitable foundations, and international philanthropists began financing the country’s defense alongside state assistance provided by international partners. Estimates of total private contributions range from tens to hundreds of billions of hryvnias. However, determining the exact amount remains difficult. In many cases, companies combine military aid, humanitarian programs, tax payments, social spending, and employee support in their reporting.
Rinat Akhmetov’s military initiative, “Steel Front”, has delivered a batch of drones worth UAH 214 million to the 1st “Azov” Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine. This shipment is part of the Metinvest Group’s ongoing support for the unit in 2025.
On October 6, the Administrative Cassation Court within the Supreme Court of Ukraine continued hearing case No. 990/80/25, in which the fifth President and leader of the party “European Solidarity”, Petro Poroshenko, seeks to have Presidential Decree No. 81/2025 from February 12, 2025 — enacting sanctions by the decision of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) — declared illegal and annulled. The plaintiff claims the document was falsified and that the sanctions are a tool of political persecution of the opposition, contrary to international norms. Government representatives deny the allegations and insist their actions were lawful. Journalists of Bukvy were present at the hearing.
Rinat Akhmetov’s Metinvest Group has completed the construction of an upgraded underground NATO Role 2 hospital in one of the hottest sectors of the frontline. This is the second stabilization point established under the Steel Front initiative in cooperation with the Medical Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The new facility, funded by Metinvest with an investment of UAH 21 million, is more secure than the first one thanks to its deeper location underground (over 6 meters) and additional fortifications.
Five armored vehicles “Kozak” have received a new mission – thanks to the support of Metinvest, they have been upgraded to full-fledged command and staff vehicles. These upgraded vehicles are now operating on the front line.