At least 18 people, including Ukraine's Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi and several other senior Interior Ministry officials, were killed Wednesday when a helicopter crashed in the town of Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv.
This is reported by the Reuters news agency.
"As a result of the plane crash, the leadership of the Ministry of the Interior was killed: the Minister, First Deputy Minister and Secretary of State."
writes Ukraine's national police chief Igor Klymenko, on Facebook.
Pictures and video clips released from the scene show an extensive fire at the impact site.
According to the capital region's governor, Oleksy Kuleba, the helicopter crashed near a preschool and a residential area.
According to Reuters, at least two children are among the dead and another 15 children have been taken to hospital.
The text is updated