Seventeen people died when a military helicopter was shot down in Russia's Chechnya province today, according to the Russian military.
The transport helicopter was shot down by Chechen rebels when Russian troops were carrying out an operation near the town of Shatoi in southern Chechnya, it was reported.
A news agency said the downed helicopter was one of three taking part in the operation, adding that a gunfight ensued at the crash scene between insurgents and Russian forces.