UPDATE 3 - Ukraine helicopter crash kills 17, including 4 children, interior minister

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS; CHANGES HEADLINE, SPOT, LEDE; EDITS THROUGH

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - A helicopter crash in Ukraine’s Kyiv region on Wednesday killed at least 17 people, including four children and three top officials, among them the country’s interior minister, according to Ukrainian officials.

As of 14:00 (1200GMT), 25 people, including 11 children, were also found injured from the emergency services copter crash in the city of Brovary, and they were hospitalized, said the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS), adding that initial information may be revised.

“Search-and-rescue operations by units of the DSNS are ongoing ... The fate of one child remains unknown," the service said on Telegram. At least nine of the deaths were people on board. The helicopter went down near a kindergarten, and it is believed the child victims may have been on the ground.

Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, his deputy Yevhen Yenin, and State Secretary of the Internal Affairs Ministry Yurii Lubkovych were among those killed in the crash, said Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the nation’s president.

"Today, a terrible tragedy occurred in Brovary, Kyiv region. A DSNS helicopter crashed, and a fire broke out at the crash site … The exact number of victims of the tragedy is currently being established," he said on Telegram.

"The pain is unspeakable. The helicopter fell on the territory of one of the kindergartens," he said, adding that an investigation has been launched.

About the route of the helicopter, Deputy Head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said in a briefing that it was going to one of the "hot spots" of the conflict with Russia, adding that more details will be provided later, according to the RBK-Ukraine news agency.

The area around the capital has not seen much fighting recently in the Russia-Ukraine war, now approaching its 12th month.