Ukraine interior minister among 16 killed in helicopter crash

Denys Monastyrskyy and different high officers had been killed when a helicopter crashed close to a nursery in Brovary, exterior Kyiv.

Not less than 16 individuals, together with Ukraine’s inside minister and three youngsters, have been killed in a helicopter crash close to a nursery exterior the capital, Kyiv, in response to emergency providers.

Inside minister Denys Monastyrskyy, his deputy Yevhen Yenin and State Secretary of the Ministry of Inner Affairs Yurii Lubkovych had been amongst these killed on Wednesday.

It was not instantly clear what brought about the helicopter to crash within the city of Brovary, a commuter city that was the scene of fierce combating early in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) mentioned in its newest replace the demise toll stood at 16, together with three youngsters. A neighborhood official had earlier mentioned 18 individuals had been killed within the crash.

Not less than 30 individuals had been wounded, together with 12 youngsters.

“There have been youngsters and … workers within the nursery on the time of this tragedy,” Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of Kyiv area, wrote on Telegram.

“Youngsters from the kindergarten are in one other instructional establishment, and related providers are working with them,” he mentioned, including that every one emergency providers are on website.

Movies of the crash shared on social media confirmed a burning constructing and other people could possibly be heard screaming. A number of our bodies draped in foil blankets lay in a courtyard close to the broken nursery and particles was scattered over a playground.

Deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential workplace, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, mentioned in a briefing that the helicopter was going to one of many “sizzling spots” of the struggle with Russia, noting that extra particulars will likely be offered later, in response to the RBK-Ukraine information company.

Ukraine’s prosecutor basic, Andriy Kostin, mentioned on Telegram that the investigation is being carried out by the Safety Service of Ukraine.

“For now, we're contemplating all potential variations of the helicopter crash accident,” Kostin mentioned.

‘An enormous blow to the nation’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy referred to as the crash “a horrible tragedy”.

“In the present day, a horrible tragedy occurred in Brovary, Kyiv area. A SES [State Emergency Service] helicopter crashed, and a fireplace broke out on the crash website. The ache is unspeakable,” he mentioned in a press release on social media.

Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Kyiv, mentioned the deaths had been a “enormous blow” for the nation “on a authorities stage”.

“That is Ukraine’s inside minister, one of many highest posts within the nation; his deputy,” Butler mentioned. “These are key figures in Ukraine’s authorities at a time when the federal government is at struggle with Russia, so this will likely be an enormous blow to the nation little doubt.

“You may solely think about a number of the conversations taking place proper now, in Kyiv in these authorities circles as to what’s going to occur subsequent.”

Monastyrskyy, 42, chargeable for the police and safety inside Ukraine, is probably the most senior Ukrainian official to die for the reason that struggle started.

A skilled lawyer, he had served as Ukraine’s inside minister since July 2021. He was a key member of Zelenskyy’s get together Servant of the Individuals and was married, with two youngsters.

“My colleagues, my buddies. What a tragic loss. Deepest condolences to their households,” mentioned Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser.

British Residence Secretary Suella Braverman referred to as Monastyrskyy “a number one mild in supporting the Ukrainian individuals throughout Putin’s unlawful invasion”.

“After we spoke in October I used to be struck by his willpower, optimism and patriotism,” she mentioned on Twitter.

Denys Monastyrskyy, chargeable for the police and inside safety, was probably the most senior Ukrainian official to have died for the reason that struggle started [File: Efrem Lukatsky/AP Photo]

‘Very suspicious’ incident

Air power spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat mentioned it may take a number of weeks to analyze the catastrophe. The helicopter was a French Tremendous Puma operated by Ukraine’s legislation enforcement businesses, he mentioned.

“Sadly, the sky doesn't forgive errors, as pilots say, but it surely’s actually too early to speak in regards to the causes,” he mentioned in a TV broadcast.

Peter Zalmayev, analyst on the Eurasia Democracy Initiative, instructed Al Jazeera that poor visibility in Brovary might have been an element behind the crash of the helicopter.

Nonetheless, the incident was “very suspicious; I might not rule out a potential terrorist act by the Russian Federation”, he mentioned.

Helicopter pilots know the world they fly in and the potential obstacles no matter climate circumstances, in response to Zalmayev. The Ukrainian authorities was additionally avoiding commenting on the character of the mission that required the presence of senior inside ministry officers on board the helicopter.

Aviation accidents are pretty frequent in Ukraine, the place using ageing and generally Soviet-era infrastructure remains to be frequent. In one of many deadliest latest incidents, 26 individuals, most of them air cadets, had been killed when their Antonov-26 airplane crashed close to the jap Ukrainian metropolis of Kharkiv in September 2020.

The city of Brovary is positioned some 20km (12 miles) northeast of Kyiv and was among the many city hubs across the capital that Russian troops had tried to seize after invading Ukraine final 12 months.

Areas across the capital are not the scene of fierce combating after Russian forces had been pushed again, however a sequence of Russian missile strikes have disrupted energy provides throughout the nation, together with within the Kyiv area.