Ukraine’s interior minister among many killed in helicopter crash near Kyiv kindergarten - NBC News

Ukraine’s interior minister was among astatine slightest 14 radical killed aft a chopper crashed adjacent a kindergarten extracurricular Kyiv connected Wednesday, authorities said.

The origin of the crash, which comes arsenic the country's warfare with Russia approaches the 11-month mark, was not instantly clear.

At slightest 9 of those killed had been onboard the exigency services chopper erstwhile it crashed successful Brovary, a suburb astir 15 miles northeast of the capital, Ihor Klymenko, the caput of the nationalist police, said successful a statement.

He said the dormant included Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, his deputy, Yevhen Yenin, and Yurii Lubkovych, the authorities secretary. One kid was besides among the dead, officials said.

Officials had earlier enactment the decease toll astatine 18, including 4 children, but it was aboriginal revised down arsenic authorities stressed the last fig was uncertain.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky was killed successful a chopper clang Wednesday morning. Sergei Supinsky / AFP - Getty Images file

"The symptom is unbearable," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of the children killed.

"May each those whose lives were taken this achromatic greeting remainder successful peace!” helium said successful a statement.

At slightest 25 people, including 11 children, were being treated successful hospitals, officials said. The grade of their injuries was not instantly clear.

The chopper fell adjacent a kindergarten and a residential building, according to Oleksii Kuleba, the caput of the Kyiv Regional Military Administration.

"At the clip of the tragedy, children and employees of the instauration were successful the kindergarten. At this point, everyone was evacuated," helium said.

Video and photos shared online by Ukrainian officials showed flames bursting from astatine slightest 1 gathering arsenic fume billowed from the clang site.

The Security Service of Ukraine said connected its Telegram transmission that it was considering astatine slightest 3 imaginable causes, including malfunction, a usurpation of formation rules oregon “deliberate actions to destruct the vehicle.”