Rabbi Jonathan Markovitch, the chief Chabad emissary in Kyiv, on Wednesday eulogized the late Interior Minister of Ukraine, Denys Monastyrsky, who died Wednesday morning when the helicopter he was travelling in crashed into a day care center outside of Kyiv.
“Together with the Jewish community of Kyiv and all of Ukraine, we are very saddened to hear of the terrible disaster which claimed the lives of Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, along with other senior Ukrainian officials and civilians,” said Rabbi Markovitch.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured and the families of those killed.”
“Denys Monastyrsky maintained strong ties with us, and we even met together several times during his year as Interior Minister.”
“During our many conversations together he often emphasized his personal commitment and the responsibility of Ukraine as a whole to ensuring the thriving and strengthening of the Jewish community in Kyiv and in all of Ukraine.”
“Denys worked hard to fight against antisemitism and bigotry, and during this past year, emphasized to me the importance of joint humanitarian work for Ukrainians and the Jewish community, which finds itself in a most challenging humanitarian situation.”
“May his memory, and the memory of all the victims of this tragedy and of the war, be a blessing.”