Lviv/Moscow, Jan 18 (EFE).- Ukraine is investigating the causes of the crash of a helicopter in the kyiv region in which the leadership of the Ministry of the Interior was traveling and in which 14 people died, a tragedy that occurred when the country it is still digesting the Dnipro massacre and calls for greater military support from the West to stop Russia on the ground and in the air.
“It is a terrible tragedy,” declared the President of Ukraine, Volodimir Zelensky, as soon as he learned of the accident in which the head of the Interior, Denys Monastyrsky, his first deputy, Yevhen Yenin, and the Secretary of State for the Interior, Yuriy Lubkovych, died. , and six other people who were on board.
The other five fatalities, including a child, occurred on the ground, said the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS), to which the helicopter belonged, an H225 Super Puma, which crashed next to a childcare center and a building. housing in the city of Brovary, on the outskirts of kyiv.
At least 25 people, eleven of them children, were injured and more than fifty received psychological care, according to the DSNS.
All lines of research open
At the moment, the Ukrainian authorities have not advanced possible causes of the accident and keep all lines of investigation open.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) stated that it equally investigates the entire spectrum of possible causes: from a violation of navigation rules and a technical failure of the device to an “intentional action” to destroy the ship.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal appointed National Police Chief and Deputy Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as interim head of the portfolio.
“The Ministry of the Interior is one of the links in the security of our country, and therefore all the necessary protocols have been activated to maintain governance of all processes,” Shmyhal wrote on his Telegram channel.
EU condolences to Ukraine on death of Interior Minister
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, today conveyed his condolences to Ukraine for the helicopter “crash” in the city of Brovary, in the kyiv region, in which the Ukrainian Minister of the Interior, Denis Monastyrsky, his deputy and 14 other people.
“We join Ukraine in grief following the tragic helicopter crash in Brovary. Minister Denys Monastyrsky was a great friend of the EU. We share our deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” Michel posted on his Twitter account.
Poland promotes the “international tank coalition
Ukraine today received a boost from one of its closest allies, Poland, which announced that it will promote an “international coalition” to facilitate the delivery of tanks to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
According to the foreign spokesman for the Polish presidential office, Marcin Przydacz, the goal of the coalition, which will be formalized at the NATO ministerial meeting next Friday at the US base in Ramstein (Germany), will be to transfer tanks to and from Ukraine. the United Kingdom and several countries of the European Union (EU) will participate.
Polish President Andrzej Duda announced last week that his country would be willing to hand over a company of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine “as part of establishing an international coalition” if it receives Germany’s permission.
Scholz promises Ukraine more military support
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz today ratified his country’s commitment to provide Ukraine with all its support and for as long as necessary and included the option of Patriot defense systems that kyiv has been demanding.
“We will continue to support Ukraine with large arms shipments, in coordination with our partners,” said the German leader, in his speech before the World Economic Forum in Davos, adding that this includes “defensive systems such as IRIS-T or Patriot ».
Germany is under strong pressure from several of its allies to provide kyiv with Leopard-type tanks, after having already supplied Gepard-type armored vehicles and committed to sending the Marder, while on Monday it began moving three Patriot system batteries to neighboring Poland.
In his speech before that Forum, Scholz recalled that his country’s contribution to aid to Ukraine already reached 12,000 million euros last year and insisted that his commitment to defending that country against Russian aggression will be maintained. as long as necessary.”
