Fatal Helicopter Crash in Ukraine Acknowledged by President Zelensky

By Mahi S

On Wednesday 18th of January 2023, at 08:30 local time (06:30 GMT) a fatal helicopter crash in the capital of Ukraine, Kyiv, resulted in the death of 14 people.

Following the fatal helicopter crash, President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the incident on the Davos WEF (World Economic Forum). The Ukrainian president has been quoted acknowledging that there ‘are no accidents at war time’, and although the Ukrainian government has not claimed Russian involvement, President Zelensky has brought attention to the fact that the incident seems to be a by-product of the War.

Although the event seemed to be no more than an accident, the SBU state security services have identified a couple reasons such as sabotage, technical malfunction or breach of flight rules which could have caused this crash. All that was recognisable of the helicopter was the door and rotor, the rest destroyed in the midst of the accident.

The crash killed 14 people, among them Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, Tetiana Shutiak, first deputy minister Yevhen Yenin and state secretary Yuriy Lubkovych The crash has significantly affected the Ukrainian people, as the helicopter landed near a kindergarten and caused significant damage to surrounding residential areas. Many bystanders blame the Russian War for the accident, saying that due to the War the city has been running with no electricity and trapped in a fog and consequently the helicopter’s vision had been compromised. The helicopter crashed near a kindergarten, scaring parents dropping their children off on a normal Wednesday. One local resident described helping getting children out of the way of the flying debris, and one girl he picked up, Polina, aged 6, was not recognised by her own father as her face was covered in blood.

Furthermore, Denys Monastyrsky, interior affairs minister of Ukraine, was a representative of the Ukrainian people, and has been one of the most significant deaths since the beginning of the War. His death also significantly impacts Ukraine’s ability to fight of Russian troops, as his job as interior affairs minister included organising the police force and plays a vital role on the Ukrainian governmental structure. Soon following the interior minister’s death, Ihor Klymenko has been appointed acting interior minister, in an attempt to prevent the death of their leader affect the internal workings of the government and Ukraines ability to fight the War.

The crash has been a deeply affected Ukraine, and it has only been 5 days since a Russian missile attack, killing 45 citizens, 6 of which were children. The accident was described by President Zelensky as a ‘’ pain [that is] unspeakable.’’ Ukraine will have been severely affected by this incident, losing a loved public figure, many government officials, and many citizens.

By Ellie B