The military helicopter that crashed in Chechnya on Aug. 19 was shot down by an air-to-surface missile, probably fired from an Igla system, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Friday.
Ivanov, however, didn't link the tragedy with Chechen rebels, who on its website claimed responsibility for the attack.
The missile hit the right engine, Ivanov said. "A fire broke out. The entire hydraulic control system failed, the back door could not open, and burning fuel flooded inside the helicopter," he said.
The minister blamed Defense Ministry personnel who had prepared the flight, saying they had "committed the most severe violations of orders and regulations." He accused the officers of negligence and irresponsibility.
"Investigation will determine the extent of their guilt and each of them will be disciplined and face criminal justice," Interfax quoted him as saying.
The Mi-26 military transport helicopter went down in a minefield outside the Khankala military headquarters, near the regional capital Grozny on Aug. 19, killing 118 people including an army nurse and her child.
Twenty-nine others aboard, including five crewmembers, were injured and some still remain in serious condition.
By 9:00 Moscow summer time (0500 GMT) Friday, workers at the Defense Ministry's laboratory in Rostov had identified 69 bodies, 50 of which had been sent to their families for burial, Ivanov said.