On Wednesday January 18, 2023, a helicopter transporting the interior ministry's executives crashed close to a school and a housing complex in the city of Brovary in the Kyiv region. According to Ukrainian officials, it is estimated till now that the accident has killed at least 18 people, including all nine people on board, with the Interior Minister Denis Monastyrsky, the First Deputy Minister Yevheniy Yenin and the State Secretary Yuriy Lubkovychis among them.
The crash took place near a kindergarten where there were school staff and children inside, unfortunately causing the death of 3 children. Moreover, President Volodymyr Zelensky, publicly reported that 11 children were among the additional 25 injured following the incident. Investigations are currently underway and the reasons for the accident are not yet clear: for now, it is hypothesized that the helicopter malfunctioned or that the aircraft was shot down. Among the organizations that reported the news was UNICEF Ukraine which expressed its closeness to the families of the killed children; the United Nations agency also reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of children, particularly during armed conflicts, where they should not be a target.
This event once again represents how the effects of war affect civilians the most, and among them, the most vulnerable categories, including children. Overall, as also stated by the Secretary General of the United Nations, the diplomatic negotiations for the end of the conflict do not seem to be progressing for the moment.
To read more, visit:
- https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/01/1132562
- https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/18/europe/helicopter-crash-ukraine-intl/index.html
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-19/what-do-we-know-about-helicopter-crash-in-ukraine/101870624
- https://twitter.com/unicef_ua/with_replies
By Alexia Tenneriello
