The victims include Ukraine’s interior minister and three children, the authorities say

The victims include Ukraines interior minister and three children the

The reason for the helicopter crash is not yet known. The authorities have not said whether it was an accident.

11:02AM•Updated 11:35AM

According to the Ukrainian authorities, the country’s interior minister Denys Monastyrsky and several ministry officials have died in a helicopter crash near the capital, Kyiv.

A total of 18 people have died in Turma, three of them were children, says the Ukrainian police leadership.

A helicopter crashed near a kindergarten and a residential building in the town of Brovary this morning. Nine of the victims were in the helicopter.

There are 29 injured in total, 15 of them are children.

In addition to Interior Minister Monastyrsky, the Deputy Interior Minister died in Turma Yevhen Jenin and Secretary of State Yuri Lubkovych.

Interior Minister Monastyrsky is the highest-ranking Ukrainian politician to die in office since Russia launched a war of aggression last February. The minister was responsible for, among other things, the Ukrainian police force.

The reason for the crash is currently unknown. The authorities have not said whether it was an accident. The authorities have also not announced that Russia would have struck the area when the landing took place.

The article will be updated

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