KKHANKALA. Aug 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Troops carriage by helicopters has dramatically scaled down in Chechnya after an MI- 26 Halo transport helicopter crashed in the volatile region.
"Personnel carriage by helicopters is limited from August 19 (MI-26 crash date) on," a source at the Combined Federal Force headquarters told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
He said that "personnel is only transported by MI-8 Hip helicopters that are escorted by MI-24 Hind attack helicopters. MI-26 transport helicopters are not used to carry troops," the source said.
He said MI-8 had conveyed around 80 people and two tons of cargo over the past 24 hours.
The toll from the MI-26 crash is 116 soldiers dead and 31 injured.