Three dead after FSB helicopter crash in Russia

An FSB security services helicopter crashed Tuesday in central Russia, leaving three people dead, regional officials said.

The MI-8 helicopter went down near the village of Krasnoe Pole in the Chelyabinsk region, the governor said without indicating a cause for the incident.

“According to preliminary information, three people died,” Governor Aleksei Teksler said on social media.

There was no damage to buildings or individuals on the ground, he added in the statement linking the aircraft to the FSB.

Aviation accidents are common in Russia due to lax safety rules and poor maintenance and have become even more frequent after Moscow sent troops to Ukraine last year.