Kindergarten, apartment building damaged in helicopter crash in Ukraine's Brovary - emergency service

MOSCOW. Jan 18 (Interfax) - The crash of a Ukrainian State Emergency Service helicopter in Brovary, Kiev region, on Wednesday morning,damaged the building of a kindergarten and three cars, also shattering windows in a nearby 14-story residential building, Ukrainian media said, citing the State Emergency Service's press release circulated on social media.

"The kindergarten building was damaged and subsequently caught fire, windows were shattered in a 14-story apartment building and three cars were damaged as a result of the crash of the State Emergency Service's EC225 helicopter (registration number 54) in the town of Brovary in the Kiev region at 8:20 a.m. on January 18," the service said.

The helicopter was carrying nine people - the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's six-member operative group, including the ministry's senior officials, and three crewmembers, it said.

Ukrainian media said, citing National Police chief Igor Klimenko, that Ukraine's Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky, his first deputy Yevgeny Yenin and State Secretary Yury Lubkovich died in the helicopter crash.

The latest updates put the death toll from the helicopter crash in Brovary at 16, including three children, Ukrainian media said, citing the country's National Police.

"The latest information available indicates that 16 people, including three children, died as a result of this air crash," National Police spokesperson Maryana Reva said during the national telethon.

Head of the Kiev region military administration Alexei Kuleba earlier put the death toll from the helicopter crash at 18, including three children.

"We know of about 29 injured people, among them 15 children. All necessary assistance is being provided to those injured. Emergency services continue working at the site of the helicopter crash," Kuleba said.

Ukrainian media outlets reported that President Vladimir Zelensky has ordered the Security Service of Ukraine to establish the circumstances of the tragedy in Brovary together with the National Police and other agencies.

Zelensky also offered condolences to the victims' families and friends in a social media post.  

Prime Minister Denis Shmygal has been instructed to form a special group to carry out a detailed investigation into all circumstances of the helicopter crash in Brovary.

Investigators are looking into all possible theories behind the crash of the State Emergency Service helicopter in Brovary, Ukrainian media said.

"We are analyzing all possible theories," media outlets quoted Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andrei Kostin as saying in a statement.

A pre-trial inquiry is being handled by Ukrainian Security Service investigators, Kostin said, that he is personally supervising it.

Spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force command Yury Ignat, speaking during the national telethon on Wednesday, added one more detail, i.e. that this helicopter, a Super Puma (AS 332), had been handed over to Ukraine by French partners, Ukrainian media said. These helicopters are intended for use by the State Emergency Service and the Interior Ministry.     

"Unfortunately, the sky does not forgive mistakes, as pilots say, but it is still too early to speak of any causes," Ignat said.

The investigation will take time and "will continue longer than a day or two," he said.   

It will take investigators at least several weeks to analyze all circumstances of the tragedy, he added.