A helicopter crash claimed the lives of Ukrainian interior ministry officials.
by Paul Kirby in London and James Waterhouse in Brovary
The three key members of Ukraine’s interior ministry perished in a helicopter accident next to a nursery in an eastern Kyiv suburb.
Along with his first deputy minister and state secretary, 42-year-old interior minister Denys Monastyrsky also passed away.
Around 08:30 local time (06:30 GMT), the helicopter crashed in Brovary, killing 14 people, including one kid, according to officials.
No evidence exists that the collision was anything other than an accident.
However, the SBU state security service claimed that it was investigating a number of crash-related scenarios, including sabotage, a technical issue, or a violation of the flight regulations.
The State Emergency Service first reported that up to 18 persons may have died in the disaster, but later changed its estimate to 14 fatalities.
The most prominent Ukrainian victim since the war began is Mr. Monastyrsky, who served as one of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s political aides for the longest period of time.
The minister was en route to a “hot spot” for conflict when his chopper crashed, according to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential office.
The ministerial delegation was its route to meet him in Kharkiv, according to Volodymyr Tymoshko, the city’s police chief, who said he had only spoken to them yesterday.
The interior ministry’s crucial role in managing security and the police during the war makes the minister’s passing particularly painful for the Kyiv government.
A horrific tragedy that claimed the lives of “genuine patriots” was mentioned by President Zelensky.
Ihor Klymenko, the commander of Ukraine’s national police.
A door panel and one of the helicopter’s rotors that landed on the roof of a car were all that remained of the vehicle. There were three bodies nearby that were.
