Chopper crash kills 15 Russians in Chechnya

A helicopter crash in Russia's rebel Chechnya killed 15 servicemen, officials said today.

Only one person survived the crash, which was caused by the pilot flying into a power cable, said a spokesman for the local Interior Ministry.

"It was definitely an accident. Witnesses said the helicopter was flying parallel to the power lines and then turned into them," he said. Local media said the victims came from the elite special forces..

The crash raised suspicions that guerrillas who are fighting Russian rule in the region had downed the helicopter, but rebel websites did not claim responsibility for any attack.

Earlier this week Russian troops killed rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov.