sentences:  The crashed helicopter was one of three Mi-8 transports and two Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters of the Russian Air Force which lifted off from a helipad to the east of the city of Gudermes.It was carrying 15 GRU Spetsnaz Rostov Brigade recon commandos and two high-ranking Russian military officers from the main Russian military base at Khankala in Chechnya.Russian officials initially claimed the helicopter was downed by small arms fire from Chechen separatists.