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Ukrainian interior minister, his first deputy killed in helicopter crash near Kiev

Earlier, it was reported that a helicopter crashed near a kindergarten and a residential building

© REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

KIEV, January 18. /TASS/. Ukrainian Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky, his first deputy Yevgeny Yenin and Interior Ministry State Secretary Yury Lubkovich have been killed in a helicopter crash near Kiev, the National Police said in a statement on Telegram on Wednesday.

"The crash killed the Interior Ministry’s senior officials, including the minister, his first deputy and the state secretary," the statement reads.

"A helicopter belonging to the State Emergency Service crashed in Brovary this morning. Sixteen people, including two children, were reported killed," the police said, adding that 22 people, including ten kids, had suffered injuries.

Head of the Kiev regional state administration Alexey Kuleba said earlier on Wednesday that a helicopter had crashed near a kindergarten and a residential building. An explosion was heard, and a huge fire broke out after the crash.

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