Russian airforce helicopter crashes, killing one

The Russian-made MI-28 with three other helicopters was taking part in the show at Dubrovichi air field near the town of Ryazan, 200 km east of Moscow.

While performing a stunt at the Aviamix air show on Sunday, a helicopter belonging to the Berkuty (Golden Eagles) aerobatic team suddenly banked on one side and started to lose height.

There was no damage on the ground. One helicopter is then seen spinning down fast, hitting the ground and then exploding.

The defence ministry said the accident was apparently caused by a hydraulic system failure, which was reported by the surviving pilot who ejected from the chopper.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Air Force, Viktor Bondarev, said he has ordered the grounding of the entire Mi-28N and and that an investigation will take place.

The crash took place at the Aviadarts competition, which is part of the global Army Games now underway in Russian Federation.

The Mi-28 is a two-seat attack helicopter, which has in recent years replaced the older Soviet-built helicopter gunships in the Russian inventory.

The games are part of Kremlin efforts to show off Russia’s resurgent military might amid tensions with the West over Ukraine. The models have been sold to other countries including Iraq and Kenya.

However, a series of military crashes in recent months has raised questions about safety standards.