Denis Monastyrsky, Ukraine’s interior minister was amongst 15 people killed in a helicopter crash in the outskirts of Kyiv this morning. He was heading out of the city with colleagues when his helicopter crashed near a nursery in Brovary. Three children, who were on the ground, are also reported to be amongst the dead with ten others being treated in hospital. So far 25 people have been reported injured.

Monastyrsky, 42, was travelling with Yevhen Yenin, his first deputy, and Yuriy Lubkovich, State Secretary and six others. All are reported dead. They were in a Super Puma helicopter belonging to the State Emergency Service and their deaths were confirmed by Ihor Klymenko, the head of the National Police. Monastyrsky’s team were flying to visit one of the war’s hot spots according to an official spokesman.

An eyewitness said that ‘the helicopter made three circles above the supermarket, flew towards the centre but then began to descend sharply, crashed and caught fire’.

There are no reports of drone attacks or other enemy activity but the situation remains unclear: the Ukrainian Air Force says the investigation should take several weeks. Weather may have been a factor: Brovary was covered in fog this morning. We’ll bring you more details as they emerge.