Ukrainian interior minister among 14 killed in helicopter crash near Kyiv

Geoff Bennett:

Good evening, and welcome to the "NewsHour."

Tonight, a first in nearly 11 months of war in Ukraine, the death of a Ukrainian Cabinet member. The interior minister was killed when his helicopter went down in a suburb of Kyiv.

Amna Nawaz:

In all, at least 14 people died in that crash, among them at least one child who was killed on the ground.

Nick Schifrin has our report.

Nick Schifrin:

Even in a nation far too familiar with war, what authorities called a terrible tragedy, the aftermath of the helicopter crash early this morning near a kindergarten filled with children.

Oleksandr arriving at the scene, realizing he had just lost his wife and their daughter, who had been inside the building. Kateryna Pechura's daughter is only alive because she happened to have kept her home.

Kateryna Pechura, Ukraine Resident (through translator):

I thought a rocket hit our house. I quickly started to dress the children. We came out and we looked at what happened, bodies with torn-off clothes.

Nick Schifrin:

The crash left a burning wreckage, damaged apartment buildings, and helicopter debris in a Kyiv suburb that helped resist Russia's attempt last year to seize the capital.

Among the dead in the helicopter, Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky and his senior aides. Monastyrsky oversaw Ukraine's police and emergency services and often visited the scenes of Russian strikes. Ukrainian officials say they are investigating the crash's cause.

Andrey Nebitov, Kyiv National Police (through translator):

It is early to give the reasons. I can say that there will be a large investigation to determine all the circumstances.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian President:

A tragedy happened near Kyiv.

Nick Schifrin:

But today, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked for a moment of silence…

Volodymyr Zelenskyy:

Thank you very much.

Nick Schifrin:

… and blamed Russia.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy (through translator):

This was not an accident, because it was due to war. There are no accidents in wartime.

Nick Schifrin:

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov took a hard line and suggested the war had no end in sight.

Sergey Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister (through translator):

There must be no military infrastructure in Ukraine that poses a direct threat to our country. There can be no talks with Zelenskyy.

Nick Schifrin:

That leaves Ukrainian fearful there will be more nights of candle lighting and more lives cut short.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Nick Schifrin.