Desant naporolsya on «needle».

militants trying to escape, at the head of the order may be a so-called president of Ichkeria document Umarov.

Russian troops suffered the heaviest losses in Chechnya in recent years. In the south of the shooting down of an Mi-8 helicopter with desantnikami on board. Killed 18 people. The rebels tried to escape, at the head of the order may be a so-called president of Ichkeria document Umarov. What is happening in the south of Chechnya, a major combat operations had not been reported up to two hours of the day Friday, when the first reported death of Chateau Mi-8 helicopter. Helicopter crash (on first reports, was not yet known, and for which fell vehicle) occurred in 11.34 Moscow time. Mi-8 - the military-transport helicopter, which is usually used for transporting troops and equipment to the place of disembarkation.

Soon it became clear that the fallen helicopter was involved in such an operation, but because the victims were dropping a lot. Killed 18 people - the crew and landing.

«morning of 5 km from the town Benoy Shatoi district was carried out special operation in which federal forces entered the boestolknovenie with bandgruppoy. At the assistance was due to reinforcements, who arrived at the scene of battle on three helicopters Defense. During the landing of helicopters, according to preliminary data, was shot down », - told the RIA« News »source in Combined Forces (SG). «Died on board the three crew members and 14 military personnel», - quotes already «Interfax» anonymous source. Later, the death toll rose to 15 paratroopers.

dead - soldiers from the special forces of the GRU, dislocated in the Rostov region.

source in the headquarters of SG said «Interfax», that among the dead, two senior Special Forces officer, Lieutenant Colonel of the Staff of the North Caucasus military district, as well as Major General, commander of the special company. Among the dead is also a lieutenant, two warrant and 10 soldiers and sergeants of the contract. They served in the 22 th Brigade special GRU located in the Rostov region, said a source «Interfax».

helicopter was shot down or through skillfully managed by the gunmen ambush (often used method, which provoked a fight to destroy arriving by car or helicopter support), or the terrorists simply fall the defensive.

According to some reports, the area is very efficient and a large detachment under the command of personal documents Umarova. In addition, he is now the most famous of the survivors of Chechen field commanders, who is also following the death of Abdulhalima Sadullaeva acting «President Ichkeria». On the possible presence of Umarova «Interfax» said a military source.

According to ITAR-TASS news agency, as a result of the battle killed three militants. However, the number of liquidated militants may be much higher. According to the head of administration Shatoi district Zhamlaya Hadasheva, «operation conducted outside the settlements and not a threat to the civilian population».

of losses among federal forces, except those that were incurred in the helicopter crash, had not reported.

Chechen fighters did not cause a significant loss of Russian troops already a very long time. Large-scale sabotage against military helicopters are not implemented at all five years.

In August 2002, in the vicinity of a military base in Khankala rocket from MANPADS «Needle» was shot down the Mi-26, full of soldiers returning from leave. Blazing car fell on a minefield - killed 127 servicemen. In January of that year, not far from the pages Shelkovskaya rocket from the ground had been shot down an Mi-8 helicopter, which flew the command of the MIA groups. All 14 people on board were killed. Among them - Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs for the Southern Federal District Mikhail Rudchenko, commander of a group of explosives in Chechnya, Nikolai MIA Garidov.

Since then, attacks on the helicopters while, but very rarely and do not cause heavy casualties. Most military helicopters disaggregated by technical reasons or as a result of erroneous actions of pilots.

Text: Xenia Solyanskaya, Firuza Muryasova