18 January 2023 , 13:30
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Vladimir Putin has been heard rambling on about the Patriotic War in Ukraine despite a horror helicopter crash killing 18 just hours before.
The Russian President spoke about Russia's role in World War 2 shortly after a helicopter ploughed into a kindergarten in Kyiv, killing 18 including Ukraine's interior minister and three children.
Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi became the most senior Ukrainian politician killed during the war today when an emergency services chopper crashed in Brovary, an eastern suburb of Kyiv.
His fellow passengers, Deputy Yevhen Yenin and State Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Yurii Lubkovych were also killed in the explosion, according to Ukraine's national chief of police. Another six people on board also died.
As the helicopter came hurtling to the ground, it smashed into a kindergarten, slaughtering three kids and adults bringing their little ones to school.
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A total of 29 people were injured, including 15 children, the regional governor said.
But as emergency responders trawled through the bloody debris, twisted despot Putin was bragging about a Russian city's victory over the Nazis 80 years ago today.
Putin gives a speech today on the 80th anniversary of the breaking of the siege of LeningradDuring a meeting with veterans of the "Great Patriotic War" as well as residents alive during the siege of Leningrad. Adolf Hitler's troops besieged the town for a gruelling 872 days, killing one million Red Army soldiers and civilians.
In early 1943, Soviet offensives punched holes in the German blockade circling the city, allowing more supplies to reach Leningrad. Another offensive in 1943 pushed them back completely and effectively ended the siege.
Putin said: “We talked [during the inspection of the exhibition] about what and how happened in the most difficult months of the defence of Leningrad, how heroic its defenders were and what the inhabitants of besieged Leningrad did to defeat the enemy.
Helicopter parts at the scene of a helicopter crash on the outskirts of Kyiv today (Daniel Cole/AP/REX/Shutterstock)"These are all things that will forever remain in the memory of the people of our country, and we, in turn, must pass on this information, these pages of our history to future generations so that it remains forever in the memory of the people."
As Putin droned on, an enormous emergency response of 127 rescue workers and 30 vehicles in Kyiv's eastern suburb doused the flames and scoured the rubble for survivors.
Meanwhile, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska was seen blotting away the tears after hearing of the deaths.
A new video showed the doomed helicopter flying low over trees but apparently without difficulty in “the last seconds” before it crashed (social media/e2w)
A picture of the kindergarten after the crash shows how it was severely decimated in the tragedy (social media/e2w)Her husband Volodymyr Zelensky called the crash a "terrible tragedy" as he ordered Ukraine's security services to investigate "all the circumstance of the incident".
He called his colleagues of the Interior Ministry "true patriots of Ukraine".
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An interior ministry advisor, Anton Gerashchenko confirmed the deaths of his colleagues and suggested sabotage as a potential cause in a touching tribute this morning.
Minister of Internal Affairs, Denis Monastyrsky, died in the crash (AFP via Getty Images)He said: "My friends, statesmen of Ukraine - Minister of Internal Affairs Denis Monastyrsky, Zhenya Yenin [Yevhen Yenin] and Yura Lubkovich died in a helicopter crash of the State Emergency Service in Brovary.
"Everyone on board the helicopter also died. The causes of the tragedy are being established by investigators.
"Whether it was sabotage, a technical malfunction, a violation of flight safety rules, we will soon find out.
Rescuers stand at the scene where the helicopter crashed (Daniel Cole/AP/REX/Shutterstock)"My deepest condolences to the families and friends of Denis, Yevhen and all the families of those killed in this terrible disaster.
"Denis, Zhenya, Yura, everyone who was on board the helicopter were patriots of Ukraine, each defended and strengthened Ukraine in their place. We will always remember you.
"Your families will always be under the protection of friends and the state. Eternal memory to you, Friends!"
It has been reported that the death toll could rise as the day unfolds as some children are still unaccounted for, according to the head of the Kyiv region military administration.
Oleksiy Kuleba told reporters at the scene that "there is no information on the number of missing children".
"Identification is ongoing. Parents are coming, lists are being compiled."