Three high-ranking officials of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine died in a helicopter crash in the eastern suburbs of Kyiv, BBC writes.
The Interior Minister of Ukraine Denys Monastyrsky, his deputy and state secretary has died. The helicopter crashed in the suburb of Kyiv, Brovari, and the total number of dead has reached 18, including three children.
The deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Kyrylo Tymoshenko informed that Monastyrsky was on his way to one of the hotspots of hostilities at the time of the accident. At the moment, there is no indication that the accident was caused intentionally, although eyewitnesses have said that the war waged by Russia is to blame.
Monastyrsky, 42, was an important figure in Volodymyr Zelensky’s team. Since the beginning of the war in February 2022, he regularly informed the public about the losses caused by Russia.
According to information provided by Ukraine, six ministry officials and three crew members were on board the helicopter.
Tymoshenko stated that the work of the ministry will continue despite the loss.
Ukrainian police chief Ihor Klymenko reported on Facebook that the helicopter belonged to the Emergency Service of Ukraine, while other officials say it was a French Super Puma helicopter.
The impact caused by the accident also affected the kindergarten, and three children died. Another 15 children were taken to the hospital, and a total of 29 people are currently under medical care. After the helicopter crashed, a fire broke out and the kindergarten staff and children were evacuated.
On Wednesday, the 18th of January, Latvian President Egils Levits visited the Ukraine House in Davos, which was created to draw attention to war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine. The President expressed his condolences to the relatives of the Interior Minister of Ukraine Denys Monastyrsky and the other victims who died in a helicopter crash in Ukraine this morning, the Office of the President informs.
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