Videos show flaming wreckage of Russian chopper in Syria

Videos uploaded online by Syrian opposition activists show the burning wreckage of a Russian helicopter downed in Syria.

The footage was seemingly taken in the first few moments after the helicopter crashed in Idlib province today.

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman says all five Russian soldiers aboard the helicopter — three crewmen and two officers — have been killed. The Defense Ministry says that the Mi-8 helicopter was returning to the Russian air base on the coast after delivering humanitarian goods to the city of Aleppo.

In one video, a rocket pod can be seen next to the wreckage. People standing nearby are seen taking cellphone photos and shouting “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great” in Arabic.

The helicopter appears to break up as it crashes. In another video, its tail can be seen lying separately from the aircraft’s body in flames.

— AP