Accident Or Sabotage? Ukraine’s Top Minister Dead In Helicopter Crash; More Patriot Air-Defence Missiles To Ukraine

Ukraine’s Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskiy died along with 15 others in a helicopter crash, reported The Guardian.

The helicopter carrying Monastyrskiy crashed into a kindergarten in Brovary, a suburb of Kyiv injuring several children.

The Ukrainian government hasn’t confirmed the reasons for the crash, but there is a distinct possibility that it could be due to sabotage by the Russians. However, there are reports that the helicopter was flying in foggy conditions in an area with tall buildings.

Monastyrskiy was responsible for the police and internal security. He is the highest-ranking senior official who has died in the Russia-Ukraine war. Ihor Klymenko, the national police chief, was also killed in the crash.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the “crash was a terrible tragedy and a black morning”. Various leaders from the United Kingdom, United States (US) and European Union, paid tribute to the victims of the crash.

Meanwhile, Russia has announced “major changes” to its armed forces from 2023 to 2026, after its embarrassing performance in the Special Military Operation (SMO). 

The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov said that the “changes are necessary due to the proxy war being conducted in Ukraine by the west”.

As the war continues, Ukrainian degraded air-defense capability are set to receive a boost. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte told US President Joe Biden, that the Netherlands will provide Patriot missiles to Ukraine.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden had announced the donation of a Patriot Air defense missile to Ukraine.