Denys Monastyrsky – Ukraine's interior minister who died in copter crash

Denys Monastyrsky, 42, is the highest serving Ukrainian government official to have died since Russia began its military operation against Ukraine. 

At least 14 people including Monastyrsky, three children and two top officials – Monastyrsky's deputy Yevgeny Enin and state secretary Yurii Lubkovich – were killed after a helicopter crashed near a nursery outside the capital, Kiev. 

Monastyrsky, born on June 12, 1980 in Khmelnytsky, was overseeing Ukraine's police and emergency services. His death, along with two others from his ministry, was the second calamity in four days for Kiev, after a missile strike on an apartment building killed dozens of civilians. 

A new member 

Monastyrsky was a relatively new entrant in the Ukrainian government, taking up the role of interior minister in July 2021. Six months later, Russia launched its military offensive against the country.  

A graduate from Khmelnytsky University of Management and Law, he started off his legal career through private practice, later joining full-time politics in 2014 as a legal expert. Monastyrsky was a core member of Volodomyr Zelenskyy's successful 2019 presidential bid. 

READ MORE: Kiev helicopter crash kills top Ukrainian officials, children

He secured a seat in the parliament under Zelenskyy's party, called Servant of the People, and assumed position as head of the parliamentary committee on law enforcement affairs. 

Monastyrsky's shot at the country's interior ministry came rather unexpectedly after Arsen Avakov, a political bigwig who had been the interior minister for previous four Ukrainian administrations, tendered his resignation. 

After assuming office, Monastyrsky was at the receiving end of some criticism, with political pundits interpreting his appointment and sudden rise as Zelenskyy's solidification of grip on power. 

Condolences, tributes 

As the tragic news of the deadly crash became known, world leaders reacted with messages of condolences. 

Ukraine's President Zelenskyy called the crash a "terrible tragedy". "As of this minute, three children died. The pain is unspeakable," he said in a statement released shortly after the incident. 

Mevlut Cavusoglu, Türkiye's foreign minister, extended his condolences. "I learned with great sorrow the news about the helicopter crash in Brovary near Kyiv, claiming many lives including Ukraine's Interior Minister," he said. 

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, expressed dismay after the crash, saying "we join Ukraine in grief following the tragic helicopter accident".

The United States Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and the United Kingdom's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also sent out tweets, expressing their grief and shock at the passing of Monastyrsky.

READ MORE: World reacts to deadly Ukraine helicopter crash

"News of the death of Monastyrsky has shocked me deeply ... Denys is a true Ukrainian hero - over the last year leading with bravery and stoicism. He was my friend," said Ylva Johansson, the EU commissioner for home affairs. 

Monastyrsky has left behind a spouse and two children.

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