Moscow: President Vladimir Putin broke his three-day silence on August 22 on Russia's worst loss in Chechnya by lashing out at the military for failing to follow through on reforms, which could have averted a chopper crash that killed 116 people.

Putin received Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov in the Kremlin as the nation marked a day of national mourning over the Jumbo MI-26 chopper downing that has been claimed by guerrillas of the separatist North Caucasus Republic.

Investigators have found a missile launcher, which the rebels apparently used to shoot down the helicopter only a few hundred meters from Russia's main military headquarters on the Eastern outskirts of the Chechen capital Grozny.

However, while Russia awaits a final report on the incident some time next month, Putin publicly criticised Ivanov, seen as his closest government ally, who now oversees Army reforms - for failing to introduce discipline among the troops.

"Military reforms are being conducted so that the Army becomes more viable and effective, so that such tragedies do not happen," Putin told Ivanov, who rushed to the scene of the crash and suspended a top Army General in charge of the ground troops' Air Force.

Putin asked Ivanov why the Mi-26 chopper was overloaded and apparently transporting civilians along with soldiers in breach of Army rules.

"How could this have happened, even though the Defence Minister had banned civilians from being transported" on the helicopter, news agencies quoted Putin as demanding of Ivanov.