The investigation into what caused this morning's crash will take time to find out exactly what happened, a Ukrainian Air Force spokesman has said.

A state commission to investigate the crash will be set up, local media quotes , externalthe spokesman as saying.

The commission will include aviation specialists.

He said: "The commission will investigate the causes. It will not take 1-2 days, because the investigation of an aircraft crash takes some time."

Image source, Reuters

Footage from the scene shows plumes of black smoke billowing from a fire raging on at the crash site.

Several windows of a building near the scene have been blown out and the branches of trees have been singed by the flames.

Firefighters and emergency workers can be seen swarming the area to tackle the blaze.

Red and white tape blocks off the scene from the public and police are manning a cordon nearby.

Vitaliy Shevchenko
BBC Monitoring

One eyewitness, reportedly a teacher at the Brovary kindergarten which the helicopter crashed into, has described what she saw in an interview with a local news outlet:

"There was a huge flash," she said.

"But, before that there was the sounds of something flying in the air, and we all went quiet.

"Then, after the flash, we heard an explosion.

"We lay down, and then quickly evacuated to a shelter."

As the helicopter crashed in Brovary, near Kyiv, some residents filmed the devastating blaze through their flat window.

The helicopter came down next to a kindergarten and a residential building. Brovary is a commuter town and saw fierce fighting in the early days of Russia's invasion, before Moscow's forces were pushed out of the capital area.

Emergency crews are at the helicopter crash scene in Brovary, just outside Kyiv.

At least 18 people are known to have died, including Ukraine's interior minister, other top officials, and three children.

Speaking on Ukrainian TV, deputy head of Ukrainian presidential office Kyrylo Tymoshenko said the Ukrainian interior minister was en route to a war "hot spot" when his helicopter crashed.

As our correspondent in Kyiv James Waterhouse has explained, Ukrainian officials generally fly at low altitude to avoid enemy missiles. And it was misty this morning.

But we do not know the cause of the crash at this stage and investigators are trawling the scene.

Image source, Reuters

As we've been reporting, Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky is among the dead.

We know other officials were onboard the helicopter - they are first deputy minister Yevhen Yenin and state secretary Yurii Lubkovich.

The death of Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky will be a huge blow to the Ukrainian war effort.

Born in 1980 in Khmelnytskyy, in south west Ukraine, Monastyrsky was a prominent figure in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's government.

According to the Ukrainian government's website, the 43-year-old took office in July 2021, but before starting his political career he worked as a lawyer.

After Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Monastyrsky gave regular updates after missile strikes across the country.

Image source, EPA

Anton Gerashchenko, who was an adviser to Denys Monastryskyy, has been leading tributes to the three Ukrainian officials who died in the helicopter crash.

He says all those who were on the helicopter "were patriots who worked to make Ukraine stronger".

"We will always remember you. Your families will be cared for," Gerashchenko said in a tweet.

Speaking on Ukrainian TV, National Police spokeswoman Maryana Reva confirms nine people were on board the helicopter which crashed in Brovary.

Eighteen people have been reported dead, so it appears that many of those killed today were on the ground.

James Waterhouse
Reporting from Brovary, east of Kyiv

This is a devastating scene - for Kyiv, and the country as a whole, amidst the backdrop of a continued invasion.

We have learned that Ukraine's interior minister Denys Monastyrsky is among those killed in the helicopter crash.

He is a prominent figure in President Zelensky's cabinet. We would often see him at major events, sadly like this one, across the country.

The way to get around for officials, VIPs and emergency teams is via helicopter at low altitude to avoid enemy missiles.

This is a misty day. He would have been flying at low altitude - but we don't know the cause at this stage. And in times of war, it is not helpful to speculate.

This is a devastating blow for Kyiv, to lose such a prominent figure in Ukraine's government at this stage of the war.

Kyiv Region governor Olexiy Kuleba says the death toll has now risen to 18.

It includes including three children, he says.

Ukraine’s interior minister Denys Monastyrskyy, his deputy and the ministry's state secretary have died, a Ukrainian official who advises the ministry has confirmed.

In a tweet, Anton Gerashchenko said: “My colleagues, my friends. What a tragic loss.

“Deepest condolences to their families."

Image source, Reuters

Some reaction to bring you from the head of the National Police.

In a statement Ihor Klymenko said:

Details and pictures from the scene in Brovary, east of Kyiv, are still emerging.

A number of images show officials and police standing next to damaged buildings.

Medics and emergency personnel are also at the scene.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

James Waterhouse
Reporting from Kyiv

Sixteen people have been killed in total, including two children, according to national police. Nine of them were on board the helicopter.

The crash occured next to a kindergarten in Brovary, east of Kyiv.

22 people are in hospital, including ten children.

Ukrainian police say the country's interior minister Denys Monastyrsky and his deputy are among those killed in a helicopter crash on the outskirts of Kyiv.

Stay with us as we bring you the latest on this breaking news.