Helicopter crash, 17 dead – all military. “Involved in a major military operation against separatist rebels at the time, Russian military sources are quoted as saying.” May have been “shot down” – no confirmation yet. If it was, expect a smackdown.

In utterly unrelated news *ahem*, yesterday Vladimir Putin reiterated that he will step down at the end of this term as president, meaning that there will likely be a fight in the presidential elections of early next year for the first time in ages. Not to mention the Duma elections later this year…

Not, of course, that I’m suggesting that Chechnya has been used as a convenient place to have a bit of a national security crisis in the run-up to (at least) the last couple of Russian elections in order for the shadowy powers that be to ensure that the people they want gain power. That’d just be silly. Obviously. *ahem*

Still – keep your eye on Chechnya over the next year. Something’s going to kick off. I can smell it.