Ukraine helicopter crash kills Interior Minister, at least 18 others

A Ukraine helicopter crash reportedly killed Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky and at least 18 others. The crash occurred near a kindergarten in the town of Brovary, just northeast of the capital of Kyiv yesterday.

Yehvheniy Yenin, Monastyrsky’s deputy, along with a state secretary, was also killed in the crash. According to the Interior Ministry, three children were killed among the tally of at least 18 people, while 15 children were among the 29 injured.

According to The Korea Times, the Airbus H225 helicopter was temporarily grounded by the European Aviation Safety Agency in 2016 over safety concerns. Its predecessor, the AS332, had also been involved in several aviation accidents.

The cause of the accident has not yet been determined as Ukrainian Air Force spokesman, Yuriy Ihnat, says it won’t be determined immediately.

“This will not take just one of two days, because investigating an air disaster takes time.”

Monastyrsky and other top officials were reportedly on their way to the battlefront of the war with Russia, according to the deputy head of the president’s office.

EU Council President, Charles Michel, expressed his condolences on Twitter with the victims’ families.

“We are mourning with you.”

He went on to say that Monastyrsky was a “great friend of the EU.”

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki noted that the crash showed “how dangerous the situation in Ukraine has always been.”

Ukraine has been fighting off the invasion by Russia for almost 11 months now. The country has seen multiple air alerts over Russian drone and missile attacks. Kyiv, the capital city, has also been a major target of the Russian forces.