A Ukrainian government H225 Super Puma heavy helicopter crashed this morning in an eastern suburb of the capital Kiev. All nine occupants of the Airbus aircraft were killed in the accident, including the Minister of the Interior, Denys Monastyrsk, and his closest aides.
The Super Puma left a huge trail of destruction between buildings and ended up hitting a kindergarten, killing nine other people on the ground, including three children.
The causes of the accident are not yet known. According to reports, there was a lot of fog and the buildings were not lit due to the lack of electricity caused by Russian attacks on the power infrastructure.
The government of Ukraine received the first H225 helicopter from an order of 21 aircraft in 2018. They were used in search and rescue missions and by the country’s National Guard.
France and Ukraine signed an agreement in early 2018 for the supply of 55 helicopters, including 10 new H145s and 24 H125s and 21 H225s, which were second-hand and used by the French government.
