Zelensky appoints new head of Ukrainian Air Force after year-long vacancy
The Ukrainian Air Force has a new commander, after being without an official head for almost a year.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Aug. 3 announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Anatoliy Kryvonozhko, who has been serving as the Air Force's acting head since the end of last August.
Zelensky fired Kryvonozhko's predecessor, Mykola Oleshchuk, last August in what many saw as a response to an F-16 crashing while defending against Russian air attack.
In a post on Telegram, Zelensky also said Ukraine's Air Force was developing a 20-year aviation strategy. While he did not provide specifics, he noted that this year, Mirage jets had already been put to use in Ukraine, and that the country's fleet of F-16s had grown.
"The main goal of the transformation of Ukrainian aviation is to ensure that our country has a strong and modern aviation component within the Defense Forces — one that is a de facto part of NATO’s capabilities and among the strongest in Europe," Zelensky said.
The president added that while details of Ukraine's Air Force are confidential, "the path Ukrainian aviation has taken during the years of full-scale war is truly unprecedented, and Ukrainians have proven that the skill of our people and their ability to carry out extremely complex missions are truly exemplary."
Kryvonozhko has also directed the Central Air Command since 2015, prior to which he served in the 114th Tactical Aviation Brigade.
