The government has instructed the State Commission on Technological Safety and Emergency Situations to set up a special working group to oversee the investigation into the Brovary helicopter crash on 18 January. The group will include the acting interior minister, the head of the State Emergency Service, and representatives of other ministries, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has said on Telegram.
"The government has gathered for an extraordinary meeting in connection with the tragedy that occurred in Brovary this morning. A minute of silence was observed to honour the memory of all those who died in this terrible disaster. The investigation will take some time, so we urge everyone to avoid any theories or speculations and wait for official comments and conclusions," Shmyhal said.
All services are now working at the scene to find out in detail the causes of the helicopter crash.
On the morning of 18 January, a rescue helicopter crashed in Brovary, Kyiv Region, near a high-rise building, hitting the building of a kindergarten where parents were taking their children. The helicopter was carrying Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyy, First Deputy Interior Minister Yevhen Yenin and State Secretary Yuriy Lubkovych. They were killed. According to rescuers, as of 5 p.m., 14 victims were reported.
The government appointed the head of the National Police, Ihor Klymenko, as acting interior minister.