Ukraine's president Zelensky addresses Davos forum after fatal helicopter crash

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said determination "are nary accidents astatine warfare time" aft 14 radical died successful a chopper clang successful the capital, Kyiv.

Ukraine did not assertion Russian involvement, but Mr Zelensky told the World Economic Forum successful Davos the calamity was a effect of the war.

Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, 42, died alongside his archetypal lawman curate and authorities secretary.

The chopper crashed adjacent a nursery astir 08:30 section clip (06:30 GMT).

One of the fourteen radical killed was a child, authorities said.

There is nary denotation the clang was thing different than an accident.

But the SBU authorities information work said it was pursuing respective imaginable causes for the crash, which included sabotage arsenic good arsenic a method malfunction oregon breach of formation rules.

Key officials are often flown by chopper crossed Ukraine astatine tree-level to debar detection, but that comes with risks.

The State Emergency Service archetypal stated that up to 18 radical were killed but aboriginal revised the decease toll from the crash, saying 14 had died.

All that was recognisable of the chopper was a doorway sheet and 1 of its rotors which landed connected the extortion of a car. Next to it were 3 bodies covered successful foil blankets.

Mr Monastyrsky, who was 1 of President Zelensky's longest serving governmental advisers, is the highest illustration Ukrainian casualty since the warfare began.

His decease cuts to the bosom of the authorities successful Kyiv arsenic the interior ministry has the captious task of maintaining information and moving the constabulary during the war.

He was a recognisable look for Ukrainians passim the war, updating the nationalist connected casualties caused by Russian rocket strikes since Ukraine was invaded successful February 2022.

The lawman caput of Ukraine's statesmanlike office, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, said the curate had been successful the chopper to question to a warfare "hot spot".

The caput of constabulary successful the north-eastern metropolis of Kharkiv, Volodymyr Tymoshko, said the ministerial squad were connected their mode to conscionable him determination and helium had spoken to them lone yesterday.

Following Mr Monastyrsky's death, Ihor Klymenko - the caput of Ukraine's nationalist constabulary unit - has been appointed acting interior minister.

Mr Tymoshenko said the interior ministry's enactment would not beryllium affected by the nonaccomplishment of its leaders, but authorities colleagues were visibly shocked arsenic they reacted connected nationalist TV.

A person of the precocious minister, MP Mariia Mezentseva, said it was a calamity for everyone arsenic the ministry had a important relation successful Ukraine's effect to the invasion.

"He responded 24/7 to his colleagues, friends and family. He was precise adjacent to President Zelensky from time 1 of his statesmanlike campaign," she told the BBC.

Other officials who died successful the clang included Tetiana Shutiak, an adjutant to Mr Monastyrsky, archetypal lawman curate Yevhen Yenin and authorities caput Yuriy Lubkovych, whose task was to organise the enactment of the ministry.

Before helium moved to the interior ministry, Mr Yenin helped correspond Ukraine's authorities abroad.

US President Joe Biden expressed his condolences to each victims of the crash.

Parents were bringing their children to the kindergarten earlier going to enactment erstwhile the chopper came down.

"The symptom is unspeakable," President Zelensky said. "The chopper fell connected the territory of 1 of the kindergartens."

Many of the casualties were connected the ground. As good arsenic the kid that was killed, 11 of the 25 injured connected the crushed were youngsters.

Witnesses successful Kyiv said Russia's warfare was to blasted for the disaster.

"It was precise foggy and determination was nary electricity, and erstwhile there's nary energy determination are nary lights connected the buildings," section nonmigratory Volodymyr Yermelenko told the BBC.

Other witnesses said the aviator had tried to debar high-rise buildings earlier the crash, and alternatively went down adjacent the kindergarten.

One section pistillate told the BBC that she had seen a unspeakable flash arsenic the chopper circled supra her home. The aviator had intelligibly tried to debar her 10-storey artifact of flats and chose to spell down person to the smaller building, she said.

"Parents were running, screaming. There was panic," said section unpaid Lidiya. Emergency services and residents rushed to evacuate the children arsenic occurrence dispersed done the nursery building.

Another resident, Dmytro, described jumping implicit a obstruction to assistance get children out. One miss helium picked up was called Polina, but erstwhile her begetter ran successful calling her sanction helium did not recognise her arsenic her look was covered successful blood.

It was lone 4 days agone that Ukraine was deed by 1 of the worst attacks since the commencement of the warfare successful which 45 civilians were killed.

A Russian rocket deed a artifact of flats successful the cardinal metropolis of Dnipro sidesplitting 45 people, including six children.