A Russian armored vehicle crashed to the ground because of a parachute failure during major maneuvers by Russia's elite airborne troops, the Interfax news agency reported Thursday. The armored personnel carrier, which was not carrying any servicemen, was damaged "beyond repair" during an air drop, the agency's correspondent reported from the scene of the exercises some 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Moscow. No one on the ground was reported hurt in the incident. Some 3,000 airborne troops began five-day maneuvers Monday that the nation's defense minister said were part of more intense combat training this year.
