A Russian helicopter crashed in Syria late Monday (May 7th) killing both pilots, Moscow's defence ministry said in a statement carried by news agencies.
"A Russian Ka-52 helicopter crashed while on a routine flight over the eastern regions of the Syrian Arab Republic. Both pilots were killed," the statement said.
It added that the incident "may have been due to a technical malfunction" and that a rescue team recovered the bodies, AFP reported.
The incident is the Russian army's second deadly crash in Syria in less than a week. On May 3rd, a Russian fighter jet crashed after taking off from an airbase, killing both pilots.
Russia in December announced its mission to oust ISIS from Syria had been "accomplished" and that it would begin to withdraw its forces from the country.
But Russian military losses in Syria continue to pile up, with Monday's accident bringing the official toll to 88.
Russian nationals are also regularly reported to be serving as paid mercenaries in Syria, and sometimes killed.
