CHECHNYA: At least 85 Russian soldiers died yesterday when their helicopter crashed in Chechnya in an attack claimed by Chechen rebels. The incident could prove to be one of the highest losses to Russian federal troops in the 35-month guerrilla war.
President Vladimir Putin, who launched the Chechen offensive in October 1999 while he was prime minister, called the incident a "catastrophe" and ordered a full-scale inquiry into the loss of the Mi-26 helicopter.
The inquiry will be headed by Russia's top military commander in the North Caucasus, Gen Gennady Troshev.
Initial media reports said 117 people were on board the helicopter, which went down near the main Russian military headquarters of Khankala on the eastern outskirts of Grozny.
But a television station later quoted military sources as saying 132 people were on the aircraft.
The helicopter crashed into a minefield set up by Russian forces to keep out Chechen rebels from Moscow's key base in Chechnya.
"According to preliminary information, the helicopter went down after being hit either by a missile or heavy machine gun fire," a military official told the Interfax news agency.
A Russian defence ministry spokesman quickly denied the helicopter had been shot down by the rebels, insisting the crash was caused by an engine malfunction.
Appearing on Russian national television, he dismissed any Chechen involvement.
"The engine ignited when the helicopter was attempting to land," Mr Nikolai Deryabin told ORT television. "It was forced to make an emergency landing."
But the rebels claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement published by the Kavkaz Centre group on their Internet site. It said only that the incident occurred yesterday afternoon.
"According to preliminary information, dozens of occupants who were in the helicopter were killed," said the message. - (AFP)