On January 18, 2023, a Super Puma helicopter crashed on a kindergarten in Brovary. On board was the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Nine people were killed, including Minister Denis Monastyrsky and his first deputy Yevhen Yenin. All who were in the helicopter were killed, including the pilots. The group was heading to Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
According to the results of the SBI investigation, in addition to the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the people accompanying them, 4 women and a young child who came to the kindergarten were killed in the plane crash. 31 people, including 13 children, were injured.
Ukrainian photographer Mykola Anatsky, who recently worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, died in the disaster. During the Russian-Ukrainian war, he was a fighter of the 2nd Special Purpose Battalion “Donbas” and the Operational Battalion named after him. S. Kulchitsky NGU. Participant in the battles for Debaltseve, Shirokyne, Kyiv. As a volunteer, he took part in combat sorties, was wounded.
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers publishes photos of Vyacheslav Ratinsky taken at the scene of the plane crash in Brovary on January 18 and during the farewell to the fallen at the Ukrainian House in Kyiv on January 21.
“A year ago, as now, Russian forces fired on Ukrainian cities very often, alarms sounded almost daily, and missile and drone attacks occurred several times a week. Just a few days before, there was a terrible tragedy in Dnipro: a Russian missile hit an apartment building. That is, the rocket attack could happen at any time,” says Vyacheslav Ratynskyi.
That morning he woke up from another message in the messengers: it was said that something had fallen on the kindergarten in Brovary, whether it was a drone or a missile.
“Without hesitation, I got behind the wheel and rushed to Brovary. Already at the entrance to the place, I heard on the radio that a helicopter had fallen, in which the entire leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was located. To say that I was shocked is to say nothing,” recalls the photographer.
In the fall of 2023, the State Bureau of Investigation completed the investigation into the helicopter crash. They found that the group was flying a helicopter that did not have permits to perform flights other than emergency departures, and the crew itself did not have the appropriate permits to fly in difficult weather conditions and the necessary certifications. Due to bad weather, the helicopter flew extremely low, the height was less than the buildings.
“The crew commander saw an obstacle - a high-rise building, and began to perform an overflight maneuver, but rose sharply, lost orientation in space and during the completion of the maneuver, due to lack of necessary skills, allowed a collision with the ground,” the ministry said.
Five officials of the State Emergency Service announced suspicions. They face up to 10 years in prison.
Photographer Vyacheslav Ratinsky says that it was very difficult to work at the scene of the disaster because of the force of the security forces around.
“As always, it is very difficult for journalists to work at the site of missile strikes or disasters. Everything is surrounded by security, fenced with fences and ribbons. I understand that these are security measures for the time of the investigation and the collection of evidence, but sometimes it reaches the point of absurdity. I could not understand where the tragedy happened, a huge area was fenced off. It was necessary to go around all the yards around to find out where the helicopter was located approximately. From time to time high superiors appeared, either from the Ministry of Internal Affairs or from the Office of the President. That's why I focused on them,” Vyacheslav Ratynskyi shares.
He eventually climbed onto the balcony of one of the houses and saw a damaged garden, part of the roof of which had been destroyed.
“There was no helicopter visible from there. From the ground it was also practically not visible, and it was not allowed closer. Over time, I realized that it was possible to try to climb the house next door. Of course, no one was allowed into the apartments, but from a tiny window in the entrance on the 8th floor I saw that the place of the fall is very clearly visible,” explains Ratynsky.
Residents of surrounding homes carried flowers and toys to the kindergarten gate during the day, according to the photographer. The consequences of the tragedy became truly striking when bodies began to be removed from the building.
“People carried flowers to the kindergarten gate for a long time, stood and cried for a long time. I had hoped that no one in the garden was hurt. Unfortunately, the tragedy happened in the morning. Parents and children just went to kindergarten. I realized that there were dead people in the kindergarten when they began to take the bodies out of there. They were carried and carried. It was a very unpleasant emotion,” recalls the photographer.
The farewell ceremony for those killed in the plane crash took place three days later, on January 21. Everyone could say goodbye at the Ukrainian House in Kyiv, where high-ranking officials are usually escorted on their last journey.
“Initially, part of the ceremony was closed, where absolutely all the military-political leadership of the state, clergy, military and intelligence leaders, the President of Ukraine with his wife and relatives of the dead gathered. Everything was very formal, the coffins with the dead were brought in several black catapults. The honor guard brought the dead to the premises, spread flags and covered the coffins. Families said goodbye, relatives, parents, children, wives cried, Zelensky and his wife cried. It was a very sad moment,” says Vyacheslav Ratynskyi.
For all those willing to say goodbye, the door opened a little later. The queue stretched from the European Square all the way to the Independence Square.
Vyacheslav Ratynskyi — Ukrainian documentary photographer and photojournalist. He has been working in the field of photojournalism for more than 10 years. Collaborates with international and Ukrainian news agencies and media, including Reuters, The Guardian, Le Monde, Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazine and others. He has been published in many Western and Ukrainian media, including The Time, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Telegraph, The New York Times, El Pais, Der Spiegel and others.
Participant in many photo exhibitions in Europe, USA, Japan and South Korea. His photographs have been published in several books. Vyacheslav Ratinsky works in Ukraine. In his work, the photographer explores the impact of war on society, social and political problems.
Social networks:Facebook, Instagram
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Kateryna Moskalyuk
Bild-editor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
The project is implemented thanks to support IWM Documenting Ukraine.
On January 18, 2023, a Super Puma helicopter crashed on a kindergarten in Brovary. On board was the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Nine people were killed, including Minister Denis Monastyrsky and his first deputy Yevhen Yenin. All who were in the helicopter were killed, including the pilots. The group was heading to Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions.
According to the results of the SBI investigation, in addition to the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the people accompanying them, 4 women and a young child who came to the kindergarten were killed in the plane crash. 31 people, including 13 children, were injured.
Ukrainian photographer Mykola Anatsky, who recently worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, died in the disaster. During the Russian-Ukrainian war, he was a fighter of the 2nd Special Purpose Battalion “Donbas” and the Operational Battalion named after him. S. Kulchitsky NGU. Participant in the battles for Debaltseve, Shirokyne, Kyiv. As a volunteer, he took part in combat sorties, was wounded.
The Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers publishes photos of Vyacheslav Ratinsky taken at the scene of the plane crash in Brovary on January 18 and during the farewell to the fallen at the Ukrainian House in Kyiv on January 21.
“A year ago, as now, Russian forces fired on Ukrainian cities very often, alarms sounded almost daily, and missile and drone attacks occurred several times a week. Just a few days before, there was a terrible tragedy in Dnipro: a Russian missile hit an apartment building. That is, the rocket attack could happen at any time,” says Vyacheslav Ratynskyi.
That morning he woke up from another message in the messengers: it was said that something had fallen on the kindergarten in Brovary, whether it was a drone or a missile.
“Without hesitation, I got behind the wheel and rushed to Brovary. Already at the entrance to the place, I heard on the radio that a helicopter had fallen, in which the entire leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was located. To say that I was shocked is to say nothing,” recalls the photographer.
In the fall of 2023, the State Bureau of Investigation completed the investigation into the helicopter crash. They found that the group was flying a helicopter that did not have permits to perform flights other than emergency departures, and the crew itself did not have the appropriate permits to fly in difficult weather conditions and the necessary certifications. Due to bad weather, the helicopter flew extremely low, the height was less than the buildings.
“The crew commander saw an obstacle - a high-rise building, and began to perform an overflight maneuver, but rose sharply, lost orientation in space and during the completion of the maneuver, due to lack of necessary skills, allowed a collision with the ground,” the ministry said.
Five officials of the State Emergency Service announced suspicions. They face up to 10 years in prison.
Photographer Vyacheslav Ratinsky says that it was very difficult to work at the scene of the disaster because of the force of the security forces around.
“As always, it is very difficult for journalists to work at the site of missile strikes or disasters. Everything is surrounded by security, fenced with fences and ribbons. I understand that these are security measures for the time of the investigation and the collection of evidence, but sometimes it reaches the point of absurdity. I could not understand where the tragedy happened, a huge area was fenced off. It was necessary to go around all the yards around to find out where the helicopter was located approximately. From time to time high superiors appeared, either from the Ministry of Internal Affairs or from the Office of the President. That's why I focused on them,” Vyacheslav Ratynskyi shares.
He eventually climbed onto the balcony of one of the houses and saw a damaged garden, part of the roof of which had been destroyed.
“There was no helicopter visible from there. From the ground it was also practically not visible, and it was not allowed closer. Over time, I realized that it was possible to try to climb the house next door. Of course, no one was allowed into the apartments, but from a tiny window in the entrance on the 8th floor I saw that the place of the fall is very clearly visible,” explains Ratynsky.
Residents of surrounding homes carried flowers and toys to the kindergarten gate during the day, according to the photographer. The consequences of the tragedy became truly striking when bodies began to be removed from the building.
“People carried flowers to the kindergarten gate for a long time, stood and cried for a long time. I had hoped that no one in the garden was hurt. Unfortunately, the tragedy happened in the morning. Parents and children just went to kindergarten. I realized that there were dead people in the kindergarten when they began to take the bodies out of there. They were carried and carried. It was a very unpleasant emotion,” recalls the photographer.
The farewell ceremony for those killed in the plane crash took place three days later, on January 21. Everyone could say goodbye at the Ukrainian House in Kyiv, where high-ranking officials are usually escorted on their last journey.
“Initially, part of the ceremony was closed, where absolutely all the military-political leadership of the state, clergy, military and intelligence leaders, the President of Ukraine with his wife and relatives of the dead gathered. Everything was very formal, the coffins with the dead were brought in several black catapults. The honor guard brought the dead to the premises, spread flags and covered the coffins. Families said goodbye, relatives, parents, children, wives cried, Zelensky and his wife cried. It was a very sad moment,” says Vyacheslav Ratynskyi.
For all those willing to say goodbye, the door opened a little later. The queue stretched from the European Square all the way to the Independence Square.
Vyacheslav Ratynskyi — Ukrainian documentary photographer and photojournalist. He has been working in the field of photojournalism for more than 10 years. Collaborates with international and Ukrainian news agencies and media, including Reuters, The Guardian, Le Monde, Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazine and others. He has been published in many Western and Ukrainian media, including The Time, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Telegraph, The New York Times, El Pais, Der Spiegel and others.
Participant in many photo exhibitions in Europe, USA, Japan and South Korea. His photographs have been published in several books. Vyacheslav Ratinsky works in Ukraine. In his work, the photographer explores the impact of war on society, social and political problems.
Social networks:Facebook, Instagram
The material was worked on:
Researcher of the topic, author of the text: Kateryna Moskalyuk
Bild-editor: Vyacheslav Ratynskyi
Literary Editor: Julia Futei
Site Manager: Vladislav Kuhar
The project is implemented thanks to support IWM Documenting Ukraine.
UAPP is an independent association of professional Ukrainian photographers, designed to protect their interests, support, develop and promote Ukrainian photography as an important element of national culture.
UAPP's activities span educational, social, research and cultural initiatives, as well as book publishing.
UAPP represents Ukrainian professional photography in the international photographic community and is an official member of the Federation of European Photographers (FEP) — an international organization representing more than 50,000 professional photographers in Europe and other countries around the world.
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