ah with what happens that in new. 1 york has implications all around the world to make these stories resonate requires talking to everyday people, the mayor of the city and outside new doing away with the current view. that was, that was to get everybody off. it's international perspective with the human touch doing way in and then pulling back out again. ah, at least 18 people, including ukraine's interior minister and his deputy is killed in

a helicopter crash in the town of bro. very near keith. ah, hello, i'm not even sorry this village is there a lie from dough or said coming up. the journalist maria ressa is acquitted of tax evasion charges by a philippines court investment into renewable energy. european leaders look at moving away from their reliance on russian gas of the world economic united nation sends. it's my senior woman, official task, honest, honest pools grow to restore women's rights under the toner back. we start with breaking news in ukraine, where top members of the interior ministry have been killed in a helicopter crash in the town of rover in keys. the helicopter went down near

preschool, at least 2 children have also been killed, emergency services on the scene. let's go straight to correspondence. natasha butler, who is at the scene of the crash. natasha. bring this up to date with what you know now, i'm just a kid very this small town on the east and outskirts of keep just behind me is the kindergarten where the helicopter crushed and i don't if you can see. but half of it is completely destroyed. and blackened from the fire off to that crush, which took place just off the 8 o'clock local time. here in the morning, what we know now is that on board the helicopter would 9 people, police say they were all killed. they include senior ukrainian government officials, including ukraine's interior minister, other victims. so. so amongst them some children at least 2, we know that other children injured,

they've been taken to hospital se really for tragic events. so you can only imagine how distressing this is the some of the, of the families of those children who are in that nursery. some of the saw their rules. and also of course, the family and relatives of those who are on board the helicopter. and natasha to we have any more information about where the helicopter was going and what caused it to crash? no, we don't. we don't have much information about that at all. we just know that we, the senior government officials, including the interior minister and his deputy on that helicopter, were not sure where they were going with this was just an official, a work trip. there was some residents in this area because you have to know that this kindergarten is in the middle of a residential area. there are lots of apartment blocks. there are low since there were some residents. he said that they saw the helicopter just before he crashed and that part of it was on fire. propeller was on fire,

but it that hasn't been verified. so we really don't know what caused this helicopter to come down. why 8 came down and why here? but there is no doubt of what has happened this morning is a very tragic event in a time when ukraine is already at war and has been at war now for nearly a year as ukrainian forces continue to fight to russian forces. so a lot of grief, a lot of shock in this area. i've seen a lot of residents who've been coming to see what, what has happened is very quiet, very still. there's still a real sense of real strong smell of smoke in the air though. at natasha. we're just getting an update here on the death toll. i believe it's risen to 18. this is, according to the cave, governor of the cave region governor, or lexi caliber says, the dest whole has now risen to 18, which includes 3 children. tell us a bit more about the location of where this helicopter crashed. bravery,

we know as a story town, you say this is a residential area, very close to this nursery. and, and this was a city that had actually been recaptured by ukrainian forces last year from the russians. wasn't it? what is the city though? is the scene of a battle between ukrainian russian forces, russian forces pushed back a key city really, as i said, just a just on the outskirts over the capital. keith. so it is a ready, a place where people have been through so much and once again, they are seeing such a terrible scenes right on their door said this nursery, as i've said, is in the center of a residential area surrounded by blocks of flats. first thing in the morning, people going to work, people dropping their children off at school and at the nursery, no ordinary scenes of life. and then this has happened and everything is upset. we

just the one woman walking past 2, looked incredibly distress. she was in floods of tears. we don't know or whether she was a mother relative. but she was clearly very distressed and obsessed as she went up to the fence and looked at this nursery, which is just half blackened. it doesn't surprise me when you've just said that some of the we're hearing that that death toll has gone up. because part part of that building is ready, completely destroyed. and we know that our children and staff were in it at the time of that crash. and natasha, how devastating a blow is this the cave to lose such a prominent figure in ukraine's government at this stage of the war? well, no doubt that will be a huge blow to the ukraine in government or look on a personal human level because there are people that have died in the helicopter. they all colleagues and friends of those in the corridors of power and keys. so on

a personal level, a huge loss, and then of course, what it means for the country out of government level. this is ukraine's interior minister, one of the highest post in the country, his deputy. these are key figures in ukraine's guzman at a time when the government is a war with russia. so this will be a huge blow to the country, no doubt. and you can only imagine some of the conversations that are happening right now in keep in those government circles as to what's going to happen next. a lot of shock because of course, this is something very roy, it has just happened just a few hours ago. okay. natasha, i just want to recap what we are talking to talking about just in case anyone is joining the program at this time. top members, if the interior ministry, if ukraine and the police chief, have been killed in a helicopter crash, the town of brody, which is a town outside of keys. and we know that the helicopter went down there preschool,

and we hear that 3 children have also been killed. are we just looking at live pictures from the town of broken? sorry. this is a key city. just outside of the cave, it was recounted by ukrainian forces from the russians late last year. ok, we can now turn to optimal sake editor james base who is at the world economic forum where there's been a lot of focus on the russian invasion of ukraine. let's see, do we have james base, james? any reaction yet from, from the officials that you've been speaking to, to what has happened here in bovary? well, clearly the situation in ukraine, given that the world economic forum looks at the political and economic

developments around the world is issue number one, i think for almost everyone here and the headline speaker supposed to speak in 7 hours by video link is president landscape, not clear if that's address, we'll go ahead now after the news that we've heard from near keith in the last hours or so. but we can get some reaction to that. and other developments about ukraine, i'm joined by the foreign minister of an e. u and nato nation. peca ivy stokes, the foreign minister of finland. first, the news of this helicopter crash, latest information we have told, has risen to 18 helicopter christ crushing next to a nursery. and in terms of the defense of ukraine. very bad news in the sense that the interior minister and the deputy interior minister, a believe to have been on board. well, of course it's a very tragic event than and minister of interior test met our finish minister of interior. so it's a very sad day of course,

and that the children are involved in this accident or the moment that the cares into the care. so this very, very dramatic event. and it's adding to the mountain cottage 11 months now, nearly a year of war in the country. as we can see that this definitely is starting to see us in crane. and people in local surroundings which have been targeted id, peace, who are going to different parts of the country and rental chase, even infinity. we have 46000 references. people welcome more, but we don't want the situation develop so that there will be more refugees. is it clear to you at this moment somehow as away? well, the president is lensky will still continue with his address to do to the delegates here that i hope that of course, he will be on online that he can address delegates. but of course, this is a very serious moment for the country that accident. ok, let's move to all the aspects of ukraine. one is nato. a. nato certainly strengthens its forces on the borders with russia. one of the headlines of the last

year was in may, i was in nato headquarters when your ambassador and the swedish bachelor applied to join nato. officials were telling me at the time it's going to be fast tracked. we might even get it by the summit. they might be nato members were in january now, and you'll still not a member of nato. you have hungry and turkey that have not ratified the deal. all 30 members have to ratify it. that must be frustrated. opposed to hold, we had to extra rapid process with the $28.00 countries who ratified, i think in record time. yes. still dealing with the hungary until the tongue read. there are no conditions, but they say that they parliament will take time. they promise that they will have an in february be of course, rely on that be to give you have these 3 bought that working group on to start lever on terrorist, my security issues. that's going well. of course, when we recognize that there are electrons coming to to p and all kinds of eastern shopping up. we're also looking very much disabled. so close to it was for

administer visit to washing them this week. it might bring one component additional component us to k, stated the turks is saying that $130.00 of what they call terrorists need to be deported or extradited. is that something that can happen, and much of the demands of 2 can seem to be related not to finland, but to sweden. is it perhaps time to decouple the 2 countries you join and then they deal with their use it 1st on the terrors, me so both of the countries finland has to be in and take darrow's very seriously peak aka. as an organization, it will be during both of our countries. it's will be done in the bolt european union. and this is the message, of course we want to deliver also til turkey about the lists of the individuals. these are better, you ready? got a question. it's not the politicians who decide this is so if there are requests, give these to the unity got bodies and then the courts will decide what is the final final position on the decoupling of the sushi applied together with sweden.

and then he looked a map and when he planned the defense of the nordic countries you, you can see that the sweden is needed in any help also towards finland. any, most of the help towards the baltic states probably goes to speed on in the country situation. so we want to go together and we want to have a common planning full thing on a sweden. we don't know, presidents lensky will speak this afternoon because of this helicopter crash. but if he does, i'm sure he's going to be asking for more from nato countries and other allies. and one issue is, of course tanks. and there's a big meeting coming up at the end of the week and ramstein air base in germany over the allies to decide whether come up with more. i your in favor of sending tanks, i believe, to ukraine. you have german lepper, 2 tanks. but germany seems to be the obstacle they need to get permission for you and other ne, tony, you members to send their tanks. what's your message to chancellor schoultz right now? the 1st hoping not has been given already 11 military packages. the late this was

for the 55000000 euro. so these are big packages. we are preparing for the felt despite of the tank is sylvia preparing for the felt baggage quite soon. i so foot, but of course we know that the gray needs, thanks. we have some low, but thanks become be part of the training of the stuff we can be part of the given the spare parts services and so forth. a, b, b, we are in favor of making a package among those countries. we'll have a little bottle thanks to gave a oh, package. office tanks, services training dual credit. so do you want to hear just a short speaking here today? do you want to hear, but if he's not prepared to send his own leopard to tanks, do you want him to at least allow the other countries little bought tanks of germany if they want to, to send them to ukraine? will i think the green light from germany 1st of all is needed and it's very favorable that it's, it's, it's coming because or crate needs currently more support the nato issue, the turkey issue and the disagreement on things like tanks to the sent the right

message to russia at this time, or do you still think there's a strong sense of unity that i, i have been saying the whole way that, that quote prouder, see this end of european union because european union reacted very timely with the sanction us of it. the actually energy chances towards the green transit sun and, and these military packages through the european beast facility. of course, there are some disputes, but all those have been sold and we are continuing as a strong so both are whole grain. pick our vista that the foreign minister of finland. thank you very much for joining us here at the world economic forum in davos, where as i say, ukraine remains center stage. we still are not entirely clear on presidents lensky supposed to address at about 7 hours time. by video link, but obviously i'm sure he's dealing with the very shocking news. it's come from ukraine, very recently. thank you for that. james bass speaking to us there from davis in switzerland. well, let's stay on that story where top members of the ukrainian interior ministry and

the police chief have been killed in a helicopter crash in the town of bro. very in t winner, the helicopter went down there preschool, at least 3 children have been killed. we can speak now on the phone from team with 1st with threats of love. you are asked who is a member of ukrainian parliament at many thanks for joining us. i am very sorry for your loss. can you tell us, in your words exactly what has happened? details are coming in as we speak, men and my minutes, different videos published from the locals, who seen the helicopter and seen what happened to it. it's very hard to verify everything's coming in. so i'm hesitant to try and to speak about the theories that i'm now discussed on social media and in between my

colleagues and myself. but it's very clear that for us, it is a great loss because ms. minnesota has been our colleague for many years in the parliament and basically has spearheaded the interior policy. and i work with the police through this very difficult year for ukraine. and his loss is a craved tragedy for all of us. and him being a friends, it's tragedy for me as well. sadly enough, in terms of the, in terms of the crash, i wonder if you could shed some light on the helicopter that the minister was flying in? was it a ukrainian helicopter? was it, was it usual practice for ministers to travel from location to location? was cities by helicopter like that different tons of different measures.

i believe this, this is not unusual. this, this was from what i can assess from the mesh. i'm getting it was the helicopter from the state service for emergencies. and basically the ality is, this is a faster way to travel in general. for the ministry, i believe this is normal practice to try and get to as many as many parts of you clean the fast possible. but again, details coming in, so it hasn't been to confirm every part of the story. do you have any, any idea what the purpose of that trip was? the fact that you had the interior administer, his deputy, and the ministry state secretary, all on that helicopter. do you have any idea where they were heading and why they were heading that? usually if you pass through your tongue to keep that's the usual spot of the story

. so that's my assumption was they want a timing. let me remind you that only a few days before we had a horrible attack, one of the major cities, a ukrainian neutral, was where you could seen horrible interest of the residential building that was essentially smashed into pieces. was dozens killed for no reason whatsoever. and the media missed him interior and it's an emergency service key in that process. so i'm sure that the minister was leading the effort on solving and trying to save and to, to organize all the efforts in april. do you have reason to believe that this was a deliberate attack and do you think russia was behind it? good many theories now coming in and there are many functions coming in and again,

the mason is coming in as well. so any of the, at the moment, basically trying to piece this together together as everybody else is trying to do the same thing. because again, this is a tragedy. and this situation is very hard to exactly didn't down everything. how much of a blow is it? to the ukrainian parliament to ukraine, to lose such a key member of the government at this time was nearly one year into this war. it is a great blow. he certainly was trusted by parliament. and he has just verified his qualities in this horrible year. but he also was, i trust the president actually he was leading all the efforts the president has a chance to, to him that and the reality is this, this is

a loss that or to the place. but again, i'm sure that he would want to continue on battling on fighting and winning so that that is what we are going to do. no matter how many losses was with suffer no matter how much sacrifice we have to kim, this is our country. so we have to continue on do you think this will have any impact on the situation on the ground in terms of the fighting and the focus of the fighting? well, to understand this exactly national june. so basically, i did, i enrolled in the grocer, cease still disposed to cease, and i, i don't imagine that any change a leadership for whatever reason there will be less effective in fighting

has killed, imagined that this will change the tide anyway. but the reality of this will basically be a huge, possible political matter to resolve in terms of understanding what has happened here in terms of trying to fill that place. which is very hard to imagine who can do better than the midst of suddenly spanish today. so i just want to put something to you because we're getting reports that the deputy head of the ukranian presidential office. clearly law team was shank oh, he's been speaking on ukrainian t v. and he's been saying that the interior minister, ukrainian tv interior minister, who is now la like, was on route to a will hot spot when his helicopter crash. is that anything you can shed light on? yes, as i mentioned, if you go through what are you either going to keep prom key?

so that is obviously the information coming in. again. i'm glad the mr machine has given the comment to mr. ration because too much information coming in and how to verify old that's the receiving of them when they're ready. if channels social media that shot in different videos. but again, cannot confirm if they can be so on the verified videos. and let's not forget, 3 children, i believe have, have died as a result of this. hit me hit near a nursery or a kindergarten go. we were just looking at pictures off the crash sites near the crash site. and it's a residential area, i believe, incredibly devastating. for the people who live in those communities indeed,

i mean there's really one of the bottom, the story that, again, the helicopter crashed near the kid kindergarten and you have children who perished as well. and what keeps you, if you don't mind me asking, what keeps you so resolute in this fight against russia, especially when we hear tragic knees like this, you know, one year now nearly one year into this war, with, with russia. how challenging is it to keep going? all the people we have lost. people who sacrifice the lives of ukraine, battling for our future and freedom. so that is something that we can give up for the sake, the died dreaming come ukraine is free. independence is better than it was. that is we, we have to achieve or die trying. and as far as the sacrifice made by the previous

generations, they were far greater than anything was self through. now. my great grandfather who fought in finding out to tell the germans he suffered through unimaginable something that i can not even try to that's the thing. so they some i've that's and one little so i'm this and when sweat this love you at us . i really, really appreciate your time. i know how difficult it must be off to hearing this news of the loss of your colleague. thank you for your time today for speaking to us on al jazeera english. what this love yosh a member of ukrainian parliament. thank you. ok, let's turn now to maximilian hess. he's a fellow at the foreign policy were says research institute. he joins us live on skype from london. oh, good of you to join us again. so, i mean,

we're getting more details now coming in for about this crash, but we still have very little information as to what caused the crash. we had speculation that a helicopter crushed into some sort of tv tower. it is definitely a ukrainian helicopter. what is you understanding of what happened and what can you speculate as what could have been the cause of the crash? well, thank you again for having me. i don't want to speculate too much. we are getting increasing information out from the ukrainian media, including a statement now that the helicopter was apparently transferring not just from here to the suburbs, that initial points that indicated but from p of out to the conflict sounds in the east. we don't know exactly where that refers to as far as in terms of what could have taken the helicopter down or cause the incident. and there will be

a lot of speculation about sabotage in the like. russian missiles, of course, have the potential the hit, the entire country. and russia has used a lot of s 300 missiles, which are anti aircraft missiles to target ukrainian ground targets as well. but so far, the indications are in the videos don't appear to indicate this was taken down by an anti aircraft or other kind of project. but speculation will be hi investigation, i'm sure we'll, we'll begin imminently. whatever the outcome is, it is a senior leadership around put up such brave and valiant resistance in the face of pollutants ongoing invasion. but it's simply too early to say for sure. and they had, we are starting to get a reaction coming in from outside ukraine. and i just want to read you this tweet from my channels. michelle b, e u chief, we join ukraine in gree,

following the tragic helicopter accident in bravery. minister dennis montague, please, was a great friend of the you. we share our deepest condolences with families of the victims. president zelinski, the prime minister, and the people off ukraine. i want to ask you a he was of course, a prominent figure in president zalinski cabinets. and i believe he was often ads a lot of major events. how much of a blow is it to ukraine and to president zalinski s campaign against russia to have lost 2? i don't think it will have the impact on the security of the country and the defense forces and new crimes. well, by weight master, want us to ask you was if you stay in a prominent member of the cabinet, he had taken over the interior ministry roll from

a man and asked and i'll run it for 7 years, including in the beginning of lance, this presidency as well, as that of his predecessor type, a potter shanker and was seen a sort of a key individual, really trusted by the overhaul reform. the interior ministry, the sort of reform agenda need for overall some of it was of course, put on the back burner by russia's invasion, but the interior minister does have a seat on the national security and defense council of new grand from all indications of reports. want to see if he was an active and trusted member of those circles and that sort of decision making on those issues. but because it is hooton's aggression that is motivating crime to unite to be so cohesive and. ready resistant to fight for its freedom. i don't think such a. ready incident, even if it does turn out to be sabotaged or otherwise carried out by russian horses

will affect the ukrainian will to fight. or there's sort of battle plan. okay. maximilian has fell at the foreign policy research institute speaking to best buy from london. thank you for your time. let's get a reminder off the breaking news. we have asked if ukraine a helicopter has crashed near a preschool, an residential building in the ukrainian town of bravery, which is close to key 18 people have been killed, including children, the internal affairs minister and his deputy have also lost their lives. dozens of people have been taken to hospital. every one's been moved to safety and emergency services are still at the scene. or russia's foreign minister, like a lover of his, his house at the u. s. and the e for the involvement in ukraine saying what's happening is the result of a hybrid rule. he said the cross is began long before the so called special ministry operation in ukraine in february of last year.