Russian pilots applauded after safe emergency landing near Moscow

MOSCOW - Two Russian pilots have been hailed as heroes for safely landing an Airbus plane carrying more than 200 people in a corn field near Moscow following a bird strike.

The incident, in which no one was killed, was dubbed as the "miracle over Ramensk", the name of the district near Moscow, where the passenger jet came down safely close to Zhukovsky International Airport, southeast of Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, hailed the pilots as "heroes", saying they will receive state awards.