2023 Brovary helicopter crash

Last updated

2023 Brovary helicopter crash
Helicopter crash in Brovary, 2023-01-18 (11).jpg
Helicopter crash site
Accident
Date18 January 2023
SummaryHelicopter crash, under investigation
Site Brovary, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine
50°31′13″N30°48′04″E / 50.52028°N 30.80111°E / 50.52028; 30.80111 Coordinates: 50°31′13″N30°48′04″E / 50.52028°N 30.80111°E / 50.52028; 30.80111
Total fatalities14
Total injuries25
Aircraft
H225 Super Puma helicopter Number 54 in 2020.jpg
The helicopter involved (November 2020)
Aircraft type Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma
Operator State Emergency Service of Ukraine
Registration no. 54
Occupants10
Fatalities10
Injuries0
Survivors0
Ground casualties
Ground fatalities4
Ground injuries25

On 18 January 2023, a Ukrainian Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma carrying ten people, including Ukrainian Minister of Internal Affairs Denys Monastyrsky, his deputy Yevhen Yenin, and State Secretary Yurii Lubkovych, crashed into a kindergarten in Brovary, a suburb of Kyiv, Ukraine. The crash killed fourteen people, including Monastyrsky, Yenin, and Lubkovych. Four of the victims were killed on the ground, including one child. [1] Twenty-five other people were injured on the ground, including eleven children. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Crash

Video taken at the crash scene [6]

According to Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the officials onboard had been traveling to a combat zone when the helicopter plunged to the ground at 08:20 EET. Eyewitnesses described foggy conditions at the time of the crash, and some reported seeing the helicopter on fire, spinning with its pylon and tail rotor missing, and circling before it hit the ground. The helicopter came to rest against a local kindergarten, resulting in a fire that charred the side of the building. Search and rescue efforts ended later that day, after nearly nine hours. [7] [8] [9]

Twenty-five people on the ground were taken to Brovary City Hospital, of whom eight were later transferred to a specialized burn unit in Kyiv. Though none were in critical condition, the Ministry of Health later announced that six of the patients would be sent abroad for further treatment. [10] [11]

Aircraft

The helicopter involved in the crash was a Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma, also known as Airbus H225, with identification number 54. It belonged to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service and was one of the 21 model H225 helicopters delivered by France between 2018 and 2021, as part of a program to modernize Ukraine's aging Soviet aircraft fleet. Nearly half of the delivered aircraft were used, with some of the parts having a wear rate of 50%, but they were refurbished before being put into operation. [12]

Passengers and crew

Seven passengers and three crew members were aboard the helicopter when it crashed. All seven passengers were employees of the Interior Ministry, including Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, his deputy Yevhen Yenin, State Secretary Yurii Lubkovych, and Monastyrsky's security chief. The aircraft was commanded by Oleksandr Vasylenko, assisted by his co-pilot Kostiantyn Kovalenko and flight mechanic Ivan Kasianov. According to the State Emergency Service, the crew was trained to perform tasks under difficult conditions. [12]

Investigation

There was no indication that the crash was anything other than an accident, although officials gave no immediate account of the cause of the crash. [2] In an address following the incident, President Zelenskyy said he had asked the SBU state security service to launch a criminal probe into the cause. [8] Several possible causes are under investigation, including a breach of flight rules, technical malfunction, and intentional destruction or sabotage of the helicopter. [13]

Yurii Ihnat, spokesperson of the Ukrainian Air Force, announced that the incident would also be investigated by a special state commission, a probe expected to take at least several weeks. [12]

Reactions

The government appointed Ihor Klymenko, chief of the National Police of Ukraine, as acting interior minister until a new interior minister is appointed. [8] [9]

Many Ukrainian, European, and American officials paid tributes to the victims and expressed condolences, including Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian prime minister Denys Shmyhal, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian parliament chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk, European Council President Charles Michel, U.S. President Joe Biden, U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Bridget A. Brink, and UK ambassador to Ukraine Melinda Simmons. [7] [14]

Related Research Articles

Airbus Helicopters SAS is the helicopter manufacturing division of Airbus. It is the largest in the industry in terms of revenues and turbine helicopter deliveries. Its head office is located at Marseille Provence Airport in Marignane, France, near Marseille. The main facilities of Airbus Helicopters are at its headquarters in Marignane, France, and in Donauwörth, Germany, with additional production plants in Brazil (Helibras), Australia, Spain, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States. The company was renamed from Eurocopter to Airbus Helicopters on 2 January 2014. In 2018, Airbus delivered 356 helicopters, a 54% share of the civil or parapublic market over five seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurocopter AS332 Super Puma</span> Medium-lift helicopter series by Aerospatiale, later Airbus Helicopters

The Airbus Helicopters H215 is a four-bladed, twin-engine, medium-size utility helicopter developed and initially produced by the French aerospace company Aérospatiale. It has been subsequently manufactured by the successor companies Eurocopter and Airbus Helicopters. The Super Puma is a re-engined and more voluminous version of the original Aérospatiale SA 330 Puma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ukraine)</span> Ukrainian government ministry

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine is the ministry of the Ukrainian government that oversees the interior affairs of Ukraine. The ministry carries out state policy for the protection of rights and liberties of citizens, investigates unlawful acts against the interest of society and state, fights crime, provides civil order, ensures civil security and traffic safety, and guarantees the security and protection of important individuals. It is a centralised agency headed by the Minister of Internal Affairs. The ministry works closely with the office of the General Prosecutor of Ukraine. It oversees the National Police of Ukraine, National Guard of Ukraine (gendarmerie), the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the State Migration Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil</span> Single engine series of the Ecureuil light helicopter family

The Eurocopter AS350 Écureuil, now Airbus Helicopters H125, is a single-engine light utility helicopter originally designed and manufactured in France by Aérospatiale and Eurocopter. In North America, the AS350 is marketed as the AStar. The AS355 Ecureuil 2 is a twin-engine variant, marketed in North America as the TwinStar. The Eurocopter EC130 is a derivative of the AS350 airframe and is considered by the manufacturer to be part of the Écureuil single-engine family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma</span> Type of aircraft

The Airbus Helicopters H225 is a long-range passenger transport helicopter developed by Eurocopter as the next generation of the civilian Super Puma family. It is a twin-engined aircraft and can carry up to 24 passengers along with two crew and a cabin attendant, dependent on customer configuration. The helicopter is marketed for offshore support and VIP passenger transport duties, as well as public service missions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arsen Avakov</span> Ukrainian politician and businessman (born 1964)

Arsen Borysovych Avakov is a Ukrainian politician and businessman. From 2014 to 2021 he was Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs, first being appointed in the first cabinet of Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. He was reappointed to the same position in three successive governments, the last one being the Shmyhal Government that caused massive protests of the civic society in Ukraine under Avakov is the devil slogan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shmyhal Government</span> Current government of Ukraine

The Shmyhal government is the current government of Ukraine, formed on 4 March 2020 and led by Denys Shmyhal, who was previously acting vice prime minister, and earlier the Governor of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yevhen Yenin</span> Ukrainian diplomat (1980–2023)

Yevhen Volodymyrovych Yenin was a Ukrainian diplomat and lawyer who served as the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs from 2021 until his death in a 2023 helicopter crash.

Casualties in the Russo-Ukrainian War included six deaths during the 2014 annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, 14,200–14,400 civilians and military troops killed during the War in Donbas (2014–2022), and tens of thousands of deaths during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denys Monastyrsky</span> Ukrainian lawyer and politician (1980–2023)

Denys Anatoliiovych Monastyrsky was a Ukrainian lawyer and politician who served as Ukraine's Minister of Internal Affairs from 16 July 2021, until his death in a helicopter crash on January 18, 2023. He had been very close to Volodymyr Zelenskyy since the beginning of his presidential campaign.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine</span> Ongoing military conflict in Europe

On 24 February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has caused tens of thousands of deaths on both sides and has instigated Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. About 8 million Ukrainians were displaced within their country by late May, and more than 7.9 million fled the country by 3 January 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyiv offensive (2022)</span> Russian offensive in Ukraine

The Kyiv offensive was a theater in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It involved attacks by Russia across the Russo-Ukrainian and Belarusian–Ukrainian borders beginning on 24 February 2022 for the control of Kyiv and its surrounding areas. Russian operations around Kyiv saw the occupation of parts of neighbouring Zhytomyr Oblast as well. Kyiv is the capital city of Ukraine, and houses the headquarters for the Ukrainian government and military command.

There have been several rounds of peace talks to halt Russia's 2022 invasion in Ukraine and end the Russo-Ukrainian War in an armistice. The first meeting was held four days after the start of the invasion, on 28 February, in Belarus. It concluded without result, with delegations from both sides returning to their capitals for consultations. A second and third round of talks took place on 3 and 7 March 2022, on the Belarus–Ukraine border, in an undisclosed location in the Gomel region of Belarus. A fourth and fifth round of talks were respectively held on 10 and 14 March in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Battle of Brovary was a military engagement during the Kyiv offensive of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine for control of the suburb of Brovary, to the east of the capital city of Ukraine, Kyiv. Russian forces advanced west from southern Chernihiv Oblast and were engaged by Ukrainian forces. Control of the suburb was contested until Russian forces withdrew on 2 April 2022.

This timeline of the third phase of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine covers the period from 29 August 2022, when Ukrainian forces retook substantial ground during counteroffensives in the south and east, to the present day. Starting in October, Russia began a campaign of massive strikes against Ukrainian infrastructure.

Many aviation-related events are expected to take place in 2023. The aviation industry is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yurii Lubkovych</span> Ukrainian diplomat (1989–2023)

Yurii Olehovych Lubkovych was a Ukrainian diplomat who served as the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Internal Affairs from 2021 until his death in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ihor Klymenko</span> Acting Ukrainian minister of internal affairs

Ihor Volodymyrovych Klymenko is a Ukrainian police general serving as the acting minister of internal affairs since 18 January 2023. He succeeded Denys Monastyrsky following his death in a helicopter crash. He has been the chief of the National Police of Ukraine since 25 September 2019.

References

  1. ↑ "Ukraine helicopter crash: What we know so far". Al Jazeera. 18 January 2023. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  2. 1 2 Waterhouse, James; Kirby, Paul (18 January 2023). "Ukraine's interior ministry leadership killed in helicopter crash". BBC News. Archived from the original on 25 January 2023. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  3. ↑ Ogirenko, Valentyn (18 January 2023). "Ukraine's interior minister among 18 dead in helicopter crash". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  4. ↑ Swails, Maria; Kostenko, Sophie; Tanno, Brent (18 January 2023). "Helicopter crash near Kyiv kills 18, including Ukrainian interior minister". CNN. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  5. ↑ Lovett, Ian; Malsin, Jared (18 January 2023). "Ukraine Helicopter Crash Kills Interior Minister and at Least 13 Others" . The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  6. ↑ "Внаслідок авіакатастрофи в Броварах загинуло керівництво МВС (додано відео)" [The leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs died as a result of the plane crash in Brovary (video added)]. npu.gov.ua. 18 January 2023. Archived from the original on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  7. 1 2 Kramer, Andrew E.; Specia, Megan (19 January 2023). "Helicopter Crash Kills Ukrainian Minister in Blow to Wartime Leadership". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 Hunder, Max; Balmforth, Tom (18 January 2023). "Ukrainian interior minister killed in helicopter crash, Zelenskiy orders probe". Reuters. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  9. 1 2 Specia, Megan; Kramer, Andrew (19 January 2023). "Helicopter Crash in Ukraine Kills at Least 14, Including Cabinet Official" . The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  10. ↑ "Six injured in Brovary helicopter crash to be sent for treatment abroad". Yahoo News. 19 January 2023. Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  11. ↑ Zaiets, Karina; Loehrke, Janet; Beard, Stephen J. (19 January 2023). "Helicopter crash kills senior leaders in Brovary, Ukraine: What we know". USA Today. Archived from the original on 20 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 Semenova, Thaisa; Khrebet, Alexander (19 January 2023). "Explainer: What we know about helicopter crash that killed children, top officials". The Kyiv Post.
  13. ↑ Koshiv, Isobel; Beaumont, Peter (18 January 2023). "Ukraine's interior minister killed in helicopter crash". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  14. ↑ Da Silva, Chantal; Smith, Patrick. "Ukraine's interior minister among 18 killed in helicopter crash outside Kyiv". NBC News . Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.