A Mi-8 military helicopter made a hard landing Saturday in Russia’s eastern Sakhalin province, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, but the ministry said the landing took place in the dark and the weather conditions were severe.
"At 13:18 Moscow time [10:18GMT], a Mi-8 helicopter made a hard landing at the Sokol airfield while performing a routine flight," the ministry said, adding none of its crew members or passengers were hurt.
A source in the rescue services told RIA Novosti earlier today that the helicopter had caught fire after it crash-landed. Firefighters were able to contain the blaze. There were three crew members and seven passengers on board, the source said.











