At least 15 people were killed in a helicopter accident in Ukraine, including the interior minister: live updates

At least 15 people were killed, including Ukraine’s interior minister and his top deputies, when a helicopter crashed into a kindergarten in a Kyiv suburb Wednesday, Ukraine’s authorities said.

Three children were among the dead.

Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi appears to be the most senior Ukrainian official killed since the start of the war in Ukraine. His first deputy Yevgeny Yenin, State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yuriy Lubkovich, their assistants and the helicopter crew were among the dead, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Telegram. 

Nine people were killed when the helicopter crashed in Brovary, a Ukrainian capital neighbourhood in the east. The bodies of the others that perished were supposedly found on the ground. According to Zelenskyy, 25 individuals were hurt, including 10 children.

“Indescribable agony,” he claimed. “A shining memorial to everyone whose life was cut short by this dark dawn.”
According to Zelenskyy, the national police and security agencies are investigating the reason of the crash. There was no early indication that the aircraft had been shot down. Images released on social media from the area appear to indicate that the plane landed near a residential building after striking the kindergarten.

More: Before-and-after photos show the destruction caused by a missile assault on a Ukrainian residential complex

The helicopter belongs to Ukraine’s governmental emergency service, according to national police.

Ukraine’s first lady, Olena Zelenska, held back tears during the World Economic Forum session in Davos, Switzerland, while forum President Borge Brende of Norway requested 15 seconds of silence once the session began to remember the crash victims.

More: The Netherlands says it will join the United States and Germany in offering Patriot assistance to Ukraine: Updates

Other developments include:

> According to Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s electrical output is only covering roughly 75% of demand due to Russian missile assaults. Rolling blackouts are ongoing in eight areas, among them Kharkiv, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia.

> Moldavian President Maia Sandu told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos that if Ukraine does not win, “everyone of us would be in danger.” Moldova borders Ukraine in the southwest.