A Russian military helicopter crashed in Chechnya today, killing four servicemen on board and injuring 11, Interfax news agency quoted the air force as saying.
Interfax quoted Colonel Alexander Drobyshevsky, head of the air force press office, as saying the helicopter crashed within minutes of takeoff from the village of Novogroznensky, 40 km (25 miles) east of the regional capital Grozny.
There was no immediate indication that separatist rebels, who have shot down Russian military aircraft in the past, were connected with the crash. Drobyshevsky said the reasons for the crash were being investigated.