2002 Khankala Mi - 26 crash The 2002 Khankala Mi - 26 crash occurred on August 19 , 2002 when a team of Chechen separatists with a man - portable air - defense system brought down a Russia n Mil Mi - 26 helicopter in a minefield and resulted in the death of 127 Russian soldiers in the greatest loss of life in the history of helicopter aviation . It was also the most deadly aviation disaster ever suffered by the Russian armed forces , as well as their worst loss of life in a single day since 1999 . Attack . On 19 August 2002 , Chechen separatist fighters with a Russian - made 9K38 Igla shoulder - fired , heat - seeking surface - to - air missile hit an overloaded Mil Mi - 26 heavy transport helicopter , causing it to crash - land and burn at Khankala military air base near Chechnya ' s capital city of Grozny . The helicopter was ferrying at least 140 soldiers and officers belonging to various units from Russian Air Force base at Mozdok , Republic of North Ossetia – Alania . According to Pavel Felgenhauer , " The missile hit one of the engines as the Mi - 26 was approaching Khankala , and the helicopter crash - landed in a minefield that made up part of the federal military headquarters ' perimeter defenses . Some of the survivors , attempting to abandon the wrecked Mi - 26 , are reported to have been killed by ' friendly ' anti - personnel mine explosions . " The interior of the helicopter flooded with fuel and its jammed doors could not be opened . Only the crew of five and 29 passengers managed to escape through the small cockpit exit hatch . At least four of surviving soldiers died over the next days from severe burns . Russian forces from Khankala launched a search for the attackers immediately after the crash , but only managed to recover the spent tube that contained the Igla missile . Aftermath . On August 21 , 2002 , the Day of Mourning was declared for the following day by the Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the catastrophe , which the media called " the second Kursk " . The separatist news agency Kavkaz Center described the crash as the " greatest act of sabotage by Chechen fighters in two years " . Some Russian media , including " Izvestiya " , voiced anger at an apparent cover - up attempt , accusing the military of " as usual " trying to conceal the casualties . The crash led to the suspension of Russia ' s Army ' s Aviation commander , Colonel - General Vitaly Pavlov , who then resigned from his post in September . The attack was filmed . On September 24 , its footage was obtained by Associated Press from a Turkish news agency along with a statement by separatist Chechen President Aslan Maskhadov announcing : " Here is a helicopter that is on fire and falling near Khankala . It was hit by our Igla anti - aircraft missile . " It was also the first video that showed Maskhadov using Islamic insignia and flag , instead of nationalist ones , and referring to the fighters around him as " our mujahideen " , in what was seen as his apparent sudden turn towards radicalism . In an undated tape , Maskhadov reminds of the Russian investigators ' early official version that the helicopter crashed because of technical difficulties before announcing that it was shot down ; he then presents a handgun to the fighter said to have downed the helicopter . The tape was also aired on television in Chechnya when the separatists used the REN TV frequency to broadcast it locally during that same month . It was believed that the missiles that destroyed the helicopter were fired from one of the many battle - damaged five - story apartment blocks in the outskirts of Grozny . The Russian military responded to the loss of the Mi - 26 by demolishing several blocks in the already half - destroyed Khankala residential area adjoining the base in November , in spite of protests from pro - Russian Chechen administration . It was initially flatly denied by Colonel Boris Podoprigora , but later admitted by the Russian military spokesman Major - General Ilya Shabalkin , who said that the action was carried out with the goal of preventing the fighters from using the area to lay ambushes close to the base . As a result , around 100 families were left homeless and NTV reported they were given barely any time to take only some personal belongings . Regarding this , General Shabalkin commented that the local residents " had been watching the bandits preparing terror attacks and failed to inform law enforcers of their plans " which " is considered to be abetting illegal armed formations , and complicity in a criminal plot . " In response , the Russian State Duma deputy for Chechnya , Aslambek Aslakhanov , demanded an explanation from the top military command in Chechnya . The area has been also shelled in August following an unrelated crash of a Mil Mi - 8 helicopter carrying two high - ranking Russian military officials , killing everyone aboard , which was allegedly caused by a missile fired from the Oktyabrsky district of Grozny . The Mi - 26 helicopter was designed to carry 80 troops , while the one that was destroyed was loaded with at least 140 people ( according to Timur Aliyev , " an indication in itself that the Russian military is reluctant to travel by road , even in areas like northern Chechnya far from the rebel heartlands " ) . According to " Kommersant " , " The Mi - 26 often flies to Khankala with 100 - 110 people on board , plus a huge amount of cargo , including cheap Ossetian vodka . " Felgenhauer wrote : " I once had a ride on a Mi - 26 from Mozdok to Grozny , together with some 50 service personnel and journalists on top of a stockpile of crates with tons of artillery shells and other munitions . " In 2003 , Russian officer in charge of the helicopter , Lieutenant - Colonel Alexander Kudyakov , was charged and convicted of negligence and violating flight regulations . Pravda commented that he " had to become a scapegoat " and according to Kudyakov himself the judge told him that he should have refused to go to Chechnya in first place . A Chechen accused of transporting the missile , preparing it to be fired and filming the attack , a 27 - year old Grozny resident Doku Dzhantemirov , was found guilty of planning and carrying out " an act of terror " in April 2004 . He was sentenced to life imprisonment for " terrorism , premeditated murder with special cruelty , banditry , and attempt murder of servicemen " , and was also ordered to pay 100 , 000 rubles ( $ 3 , 500 ) to the relatives of each victim and 50 , 000 rubles ( $ 1 , 720 ) to each of the survivors . At his trial , Dzhantemirov maintained that he was not a terrorist but a soldier of the state of Ichkeria . The other four Chechens accused of taking part in the attack remained at large .