18:38, 27 April 2004

Rebels open fire on helicopter in Chechnya

A helicopter of the Russian defense ministry was fired from land and seriously damaged as a result of it in the Vedeno district of Chechnya on April 26. The incident happened at about 1 p.m., a source at the republican military commandant's office told the Caucasian Knot correspondent. "Rebels opened fire from automatic weapons on a Mi-24 helicopter several kilometers far from the village of Dyshni-Vedeno. The helicopter was providing air-cover for a special operations group, which had an assignment in the area. The vehicle was seriously damaged and force-landed in the area of the Vedeno village. The crew did not suffer," the officer said. The area where the fire on the helicopter was opened from was bombarded and struck from the air, he added.

Author: Sultan Abubakarov, CK correspondent

Source: Caucasian Knot