Four people, including a local entrepreneur, were killed after a helicopter crashed near the city of Ulan-Ude, the capital of the Siberian region of Buryatia, the state-run TASS news agency reports.
The news agency reported early on December 30 that the accident was confirmed by Buryatia emergency service officials, who said that police and rescue workers were at the scene.
Among those killed was Sergei Rogov, a well-known local businessman in Buryatia and the owner of the aircraft.
Local media said the helicopter crashed while attempting to land in a village near Ulan-Ude.
Weather was reported to be poor at the time.
Several previous deadly crashes in Siberia, often involving Mi-8 helicopters, have been blamed on poor maintenance and disregard for safety rules.