"On December 31, a Russian Mi-24 helicopter crashed during a flight to Hama airfield due to a technical malfunction," the statement read.
According to the ministry, the two pilots died in a hard landing 9 miles away from the airfield. A flight engineer was injured in the accident and later evacuated by a search and rescue team to the Khmeimim air base, where he was provided medical assistance.
There was no hostile fire on the helicopter, the ministry added.