Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has dismissed any connection between the recent dismissal of the Ukrainian Air Force commander and the fatal crash of a U.S.-made F-16 fighter jet just days earlier, which claimed the life of one of Ukraine’s top pilots.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Umerov clarified that the removal of Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk was part of a broader cycle within the military leadership.

“I would probably say this is a rotation,” Umerov stated. “These are two separate issues […] at this stage, I would not connect them.”

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