Two pilots from Mi-8 helicopter brought down in Chechnya survived

According to the latest data, two pilots of the Mi-8 helicopter of the federal troops brought down in Chechnya on Thursday survived. They are Alexander Orlov and Yuri Potskevich, the Russian Defense Ministry reports. They were heavily injured and were taken to hospital. Head of the crew Viktor Tyurikov perished, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

It had been reported earlier that the whole crew perished.

The Mi-8 helicopter was shot down by Chechen militants from a portable anti-aircraft missile complex in the mountains near the village of Dyshne-Vedeno right after a vertical assault against militants was completed.