MOSCOW - Twelve Russian soldiers were killed Thursday and two wounded in a helicopter crash in Chechnya, news agencies quoted military authorities as saying.
The Mi-8 helicopter belonged to the border guard forces who operate under the authority of the FSB federal security service, ITAR-TASS said.
The helicopter went down in a field after hitting a high-voltage power line near the Chechen capital, Grozny, the reports said, quoting the Chechen interior ministry.
The incident occurred amid heightened concern over retaliatory action by rebel forces in the republic following the killing announced Tuesday of rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov.
03/10/2005 15:37 GMT