Two military helicopters collided in mid-air in Russia's Far East today, killing six crew members and leaving one badly injured.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov blamed reckless behaviour by pilots for the accident - Russia's second helicopter disaster in the area in a week - in which one Mi-24 sliced through the fuselage of the other.
"This was negligence, showing-off and air hooliganism," Mr Ivanov was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.
Mr Ivanov was in the region attending large-scale military exercises in the Pacific. He said an investigation into the crash had begun.
The Defence Ministry said the two Mi-24s, which had been taking part in the exercises, were trying to land at the Chernigovka airfield near the town of Ussuriisk, 12 miles from the port of Vladivostok.
Itar-Tass news agency, quoting Far Eastern military command sources, said the two helicopters were flying close together and the rotor blade of one cut through the tail of the other. They crashed into each other and exploded.
The accident happened just days after the governor of Sakhalin island, also in Russia's Far East, and 19 others were killed in a helicopter crash.