Helicopter crash case with Interior Ministry leadership sent to court: 5 emergency service officials charged

Prosecutors have submitted an indictment to the court against five officials from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) regarding the helicopter crash in Brovary on 18 January 2023. Source: Prosecutor General's Office; State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) Details: The pre-trial investigation was completed by a joint interagency team from the Main Investigative Department of the SBI and the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) in November 2023.

Until now, the suspects, their defence attorneys, and the victims have been reviewing the case materials.

The indictment will now be considered in court on its merits. The investigation established that the accused violated flight safety rules for the helicopter carrying the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. Foreign experts were involved in the investigation, including representatives from the French company that manufactured the helicopter, the SBI noted.

Background:

In January 2023, a visit by the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine to the Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts was planned.

Officials from the SESU used a helicopter that was on standby for potential emergency response to transport the delegation. The aircraft did not have the required permits for other types of flights.
Due to challenging weather conditions, the helicopter was flying at an extremely low altitude. The crew commander spotted an obstacle and, while manoeuvring, lost orientation, resulting in a collision with the ground.
When the helicopter crashed, it damaged a kindergarten, nearby buildings, and parked cars.
A total of 14 people were killed, and 31 were injured with varying degrees of severity.
In addition to high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, four women and a young child who had come to the kindergarten also lost their lives.

Among the injured were 13 children.

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