Two killed in military helicopter crash in southern Russia

MOSCOW, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- Both pilots were killed as a Mi-28 attack helicopter crashed on Wednesday night in south Russia's Krasnodar region, the Russian Investigative Committee's Chief Military Department said Thursday.

The military helicopter was carrying out a training flight in the dark and in difficult weather conditions when it disappeared from radar screens, the department said in a statement.

Rescuers found the crashed chopper with the bodies of the two pilots near the Korenovsk airfield in the Krasnodar region.

A criminal case on the violation of flight rules has been opened and military investigators are establishing all the circumstances of the incident, the statement said.