Helicopter crash in Kyiv kills 18, including Ukraine's interior minister 

A helicopter crash in the outskirts of Kyiv killed at least 18 people on Wednesday, including Ukraine’s interior minister and his team, according to Ukrainian officials. 

At least 28 others were injured after a helicopter crashed near a kindergarten and a residential building just outside of Ukraine’s capital in the city of Brovary, said Oleksiy Kuleba, head of the Kyiv Regional Military administration. At least 15 of the victims were children.

“At the time of the tragedy, there were children and staff in the kindergarten. At the moment, everyone was evacuated,” Kuleba wrote on Telegram.

Nine people on board the Eurocopter EX225 “Super Puma” died, including Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky, First Deputy Minister Yevheniy Yenin, Secretary of State Yuriy Lubkovychis, and ministry adviser Anton Geraschenko.

The other casualties were people who were taking their kids to the kindergarten, said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, head of the Ukrainian Presidential Administration. 

“There is currently no information on the number of missing children. Identification is ongoing. Parents are coming, lists are being compiled,” added Kuleba. 

State emergency services are still examining the site. Investigators are trying to find the cause of the accident and whether it was a result of the war with Russia.

“For now, we are considering all possible versions of the helicopter crash accident,” said Ukraine’s prosecutor general, Andriy Kostin.

What the kindergarten in #Brovary looks like after the helicopter crash. pic.twitter.com/YEcjgk8Wd3

— UkraineWorld (@ukraine_world) January 18, 2023

As a result of a helicopter crash in Brovary Minister and Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine died. Emergency Service helicopter crashed at local kindergarten. 16 dead, two of them children. Terrible tragedy. pic.twitter.com/KiKR5ItDoI

— Maria Avdeeva (@maria_avdv) January 18, 2023