>> THE UKRAINIAN INTERIOR
MINISTRY IS AMONGST THE VICTIMS OF A HELICOPTER CRASH THAT
KILLED AT LEAST 17 PEOPLE IN THE SUBURB OF THE UKRAINIAN
CAPITAL, KYIV. THE HELICOPTER WAS TRAVELING TO
THE KHARKIV REGION WHEN IT CRASHED NEAR A KINDERGARDEN IN
THE SUBURB OF BROVARY. UKRAINE'S PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE
SAYS THAT EIGHT OF THE VICTIMS WERE LOCAL RESIDENTS, INCLUDING
FOUR CHILDREN. PRESIDENT VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY
CONFIRMED THE INTERIOR MINISTER WAS KILLED IN THE CRASH, ALONG
WITH THE DEPUTY INTERIOR MINISTER AND OTHER MINISTRY
OFFICIALS. LET'S BRING IN CNN CHIEF AND
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT CLARISSA WARD WHO GOT THEIR VERY QUICKLY,
INDEED. HOW DID YOU READ THE SITUATION,
CLARISSA? >> WELL, IT IS UNBELIEVABLY
TRAGIC FOR A COUNTRY, OBVIOUSLY, MAX, THAT IS ALREADY BEEN
THROUGH SO MUCH IN THIS LAST YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE THAT I AM STANDING NOW RIGHT IN FRONT OF THAT
KINDERGARTEN. IT REALLY TOOK A DIRECT HIT.
WHEN THAT HELICOPTER, ACCORDING TO EYEWITNESSES CAME FLYING, IT
APPEARED TO LOSE CONTROL OVER HERE, CLIPPED THE EDGE OF THE
KINDERGARTEN THERE, STARTING A FIRE AND THEN CRASHED ON THE
OTHER SIDE OF IT WHEN OUR TEAM FIRST ARRIVED ON THE GROUND,
YOU COULD SEE A NUMBER OF BODIES, COVERED IN GOLD FOIL,
THAT HAD BEEN RECOVERED. BUT NOW THEY ARE SAYING ALL
NINE PEOPLE WHO WERE ON THAT HELICOPTER, INCLUDING AS YOU
MENTIONED, THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR, DENIS MONASTYRSKY,
THE DEPUTY MINISTRY, AND THREE AT SECRETARY OF STATE, INTERIOR
MINISTRY, THEY WERE ALL KILLED IMMEDIATELY UPON IMPACT.
NOW WE KNOW AS WELL, THAT THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE KILLED
WERE A NUMBER OF CHILDREN, AND THEIR PARENTS.
PARENTS DROPPING THEIR KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL, MAX.
YOU CAN IMAGINE, THIS IS EVERY FAMILY'S WORST NIGHTMARE.
THE QUESTION BECOMES, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
BECAUSE THIS HELICOPTER WAS SOPHISTICATED, IT IS AN AIRBUS,
JUST UPDATED THE AVIONICS ON IT.
SO WE DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY HOW THIS HAPPENED.
WE KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF FOG, THAT VISIBILITY IN THE AREA.
SOME PEOPLE SAID THEY WERE ABLE TO HEAR THE CRASH, BUT COULD
NOT IMMEDIATELY SEE IT, BECAUSE THERE WAS SUCH POOR VISIBILITY.
UKRAINIAN AUTHORITIES SAY THEY ARE INVESTIGATING EVERY
POSSIBLE AVENUE, AS TO HOW THIS HAPPENED.
THERE IS NO SENSE AT THIS STATE THAT THERE WAS FOUL PLAY
INVOLVED. BUT OF COURSE, THEY DO NOT WANT
TO ELIMINATE ANY POSSIBILITY EITHER.
RIGHT NOW, THE MAIN EFFORT CONTINUES TO BE, AS YOU CAN SEE
BEHIND ME, YOU CAN SEE, IT IS STILL SMOLDERING IN PARTS, THE
EFFORT TO GO THROUGH THAT WRECKAGE OF A KINDERGARDEN AND
MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO OTHER PEOPLE WHO WERE KILLED OR
INJURED, WHO HAVE BEEN UNACCOUNTED FOR, AND TRY TO GET
TO THE BOTTOM OF EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED HERE MAX.
>> IT COULD WELL BE AN ACCIDENT, COULDN'T IT?
NO SUGGESTION THERE WAS FOUL PLAY INVOLVED HERE.
HOW DO YOU THINK PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY --
>> NO SUGGESTED THERE IS FOUL PLAY.
>> HOW DO YOU THINK PRESIDENT ZELENSKYY --
>> AND I COULD JUST SAY, TO UNDERSCORE --
YES, I MEAN, HE'S ALREADY COME OUT AND SAID THIS IS A TRAGEDY.
IT IS A PROFOUND TRAGEDY. A MEMBER OF HIS CABINET, THE
ENTIRE LEADERSHIP, ESSENTIALLY OF THE INTERIOR MINISTRY.
BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSCORE, AS YOU SAID, IT IS
NO SUGGESTION OF FOUL PLAY. AND THE WEATHER HERE WAS
TERRIBLE THIS MORNING. AND AS I SAID, A LOT OF PEOPLE
TALKING ABOUT HOW BAD VISIBILITY WAS, HOW MUCH FOG
THERE WAS. I AM GUESSING WE WILL LEARN
MORE IN THE COMING HOURS. WE CONTINUE TO SEE PEOPLE
COMING HERE TO PAY THEIR RESPECTS, TO LEAVE FLOWERS.
EARLIER ON, OUR TEAM WAS ON THE GROUND AS THE WIFE OF THE
DEPUTY INTERIOR MINISTER CAIN AND LOOKED AT THE BODY OF HER
HUSBAND. YOU CAN OBVIOUSLY SEE HOW
CRUSHED AND DEEPLY UPSET SHE WAS.
AND I THINK FOR EVERYBODY HERE, THERE IS A SENSE THAT THIS IS A
TERRIBLE, AWFUL, SENSELESS TRAGEDY AMIDST SO MUCH PAIN AND
HEARTBREAK AND DEVASTATION ALREADY.
IT IS THE LAST THING UKRAINE NEEDED.
AND NO EASY ANSWERS, AND NO EASY PERSON TO BLAME IN THIS
SITUATION UNTIL WE GET A MUCH BETTER SENSE OF HOW THIS
HAPPENED. >> CLARISSA WARD ON THE SCENE
THERE IN BROVARY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.