MOSCOW – Russian helicopter crashed in Syria killing both pilots, Moscow’sdefence ministry said in a statement carried by news agencies.

“A Russian Ka-52 helicopter crashed while on a routine flight over theeastern regions of the Syrian Arab Republic. Both pilots were killed,” thestatement said, quoted by the TASS news agency.

It added that the incident “may have been due to a technical malfunction”and that a rescue team recovered the bodies.

The incident is the Russian army’s second deadly crash in Syria in lessthan a week. On May 3, a Russian fighter jet crashed after taking off froman airbase, killing both pilots.

Monday’s accident brings Russia’s official military losses in Syria to 88.

Russian nationals are also regularly reported to be serving as paidmercenaries in Syria, and sometimes killed.

The most recent large military loss acknowledged by Russia came when atransport plane crashed on landing at the Hmeimim airbase in March, killingall 39 people on board.