Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky was killed in a helicopter crash in a suburb of Kyiv on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed. At least 14 others were killed in the accident, including three children and two senior officials.
In addition to the interior minister, deputy minister Yevhen Yenin and state secretary Yuriy Lubkovich were also killed. This killed the entire top of the ministry.
The helicopter crashed near a childcare center in the suburb of Brovary, at least 15 kilometers east of the city center. The governor of the Kyiv region previously reported that the plane came down near a housing complex and a kindergarten, where children and staff were still present at the time.
The governor previously spoke of eighteen deaths. According to Zelensky, at least 15 people have died. The exact number of victims is still being determined, he said Telegram.
Cause of the crash is under investigation
It is not yet known what caused the helicopter to crash. An investigation is underway at the crash site. Videos from after the crash show a fire breaking out and people screaming.
9 of the 16 dead were said to have been on board the aircraft. 29 people were taken to hospital with injuries, including 15 children.
Monastyrsky, 42, has headed the Interior Ministry since July 2021, along with his deputy minister Yenin, who also did not survive the helicopter crash. It is not yet clear who is now in charge at the ministry.
