Day 329: Deadly Helicopter Crash at Kyiv Kindergarten

Facts

• A helicopter crash in the Kyiv suburb of Bovary killed at least 17 people, including senior Ukrainian officials, local authorities said on Wednesday.
• The crash, reportedly on the grounds of a kindergarten, killed all nine people aboard the emergency services helicopter, police said. This included Ukrainian Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, his deputy Yevhen Yenin, and State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Yurii Lubkovych. A total of 25 people, including 11 children, were reported injured.
• Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the deaths of the children. "The pain is unspeakable," he said. "The helicopter fell on the territory of one of the kindergartens."
• Zelenskyy added: "My condolences to all the families and friends of the victims. Denys, Yevhen, Yuri, the team of the ministry of internal affairs...true patriots of Ukraine. May they rest in peace. May all those whose lives were taken this black morning rest in peace."
• Earlier in the week, Zelenskyy gave a series of interviews with Russian media where he spoke Russian throughout. He continued to impose strict conditions for a peace deal but said a "compromise" may be reached in contested areas of the Donbas as well as on Ukraine's ambitions of joining NATO if Russia withdrew to pre-invasion borders and allowed Ukrainians to vote in a referendum that could take a year to organize.
• Elsewhere, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov lambasted Zelenskyy and his potential peace proposals on Wednesday, describing negotiations with him as currently untenable. Lavrov said: "Zelenskyy puts forward completely absurd initiatives, like a ten-point plan, where everything is piled up — food security, energy security, biological security, withdrawal of Russian troops from everywhere, Russia’s repentance, tribunal and condemnation."
• Earlier in the week, Zelenskyy gave a series of interviews with Russian media where he spoke Russian throughout. He continued to impose strict conditions for a peace deal, but said a "compromise" may be reached in contested areas of the Donbas as well as on Ukraine's ambitions of joining NATO if Russia withdrew to pre-invasion borders and allowed Ukrainians to vote in a referendum that could take a year to organize.

Sources: Pravda, Associated Press, Guardian, Ukrinform, Tass, and Politico.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Pravda. At this stage of the tragedy, it is too early to say what are the preliminary causes of this crash. All that can be confirmed is at least 17 people, including children, lost their lives in this horrific incident.
• Narrative B, as provided by Pravda. The Security Service of Ukraine is conducting a criminal investigation and all possibilities are being considered; including violation of flight rules, a technical malfunction, and possible deliberate actions to destroy the helicopter.

Predictions