Croatian Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovic, on Wednesday sent a message of condolence to Ukrainian officials and families of the people killed in a helicopter crash near Kyiv on Wednesday, stressing that Croatia continues to stand by the Ukrainian government and people.

“My heartfelt sympathy to (Prime Minister) Denys Shmyhal, (President) Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the families of the victims of the tragic accident, Minister (of the Interior) (Denys) Monastyrsky and other Ukrainian officials. At this difficult time for Ukraine, we continue to stand by the Ukrainian government and people,” Plenkovic tweeted.

Eighteen people, including Minister of the Interior Monastyrsky and other senior officials of the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior, as well as three children, were killed in the crash of a helicopter on Wednesday morning, which occurred near a kindergarten in Brovary, a town near Kyiv.

National police director Ihor Klymenko said that Monastyrsky’s first deputy Yevhen Yenin and other senior ministry officials were killed in the accident.