2 Russian military pilots killed in Syria helicopter crash

The defence ministry said that the helicopter had not been shot at

Two Russian military pilots died when their helicopter crashed near the central Syrian city of Homs, the defence ministry said today, adding that the aircraft was not shot at.

"Two crew members died," the defence ministry said in a statement quoted by state news agency RIA Novosti. The crash happened in the early hours of Tuesday, the ministry said, adding the bodies had been recovered and brought to Russia's Hmeimim air base.