Funerals Begin For Victims of Helicopter Crash That Killed Ukraine's Interior Minister

Uniformed police lined the streets of Kyiv on Saturday, January 21, as funerals took place for the victims of a helicopter crash that killed 14 people, including former Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi.

Monastyrskyi, his deputy, Yevhen Yenin, state secretary Yuri Lubkovich and several other ministry officials were killed on Wednesday when a State Emergency Services helicopter crashed into a residential area of Brovary, about 25 kilometers northeast of Kyiv.

Police lined the street outside the interior ministry on Saturday as hearses bearing the men’s coffins drove by. They were taken to Ukrainian House for a government ceremony, state broadcaster Suspilne reported.

Some streets were closed in the capital and additional security measures were put in place around Ukrainian House, the outlet said.

Some 25 people, including 11 children, were also injured when the helicopter crashed near an apartment building and kindergarten in Brovary on Wednesday.

One child, identified by local media as Milana Ponomarenko, was killed in the crash along with her mother, identified as Olena. Their funerals took place Wednesday, local news reported.

Police spokesperson Mariana Reva said on Thursday that Tetiana Shutyak, the deputy head of the patronage service, two security guards, and a photographer were also on board the helicopter, along with pilots Alexander Vasylenko and Konstantin Kovalenko.

The other victims were identified by Ukrainian media as Head of the Protection Department of the Internal Security Department of the National Police Lt Col Mykhailo Pavlushko, Lead Inspector of the Communications Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Nikolay Anatsky, and the on-board mechanic of the special-purpose aviation squadron, warrant officer of the Civil Protection Service Ivan Kasyanov.

Ihor Klymenko, head of the national police force, was appointed acting minister of interior affairs in the wake of Monastyrskyi’s death.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered an investigation into the cause of the crash. Credit: Suspilne News via Storyful

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