This is the bizarre moment an impatient Russian combat helicopter crew airdropped civilians it had reportedly rescued onto a road in front of startled drivers.

Dramatic footage of the botched operation shows the chopper hovering barely four feet above the tarmac in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, western Siberia.

The aircraft, believed to be a Mil Mi-28, was reportedly involved in evacuating locals from a possible Soyuz-2 rocket crash zone on May 23.

Reports suggest the rocket was carrying a secret military payload and was tracking a US communications satellite launched earlier.

As the helicopter swoops in at a low altitude, it hovers just above the road. Two passengers jump out safely and run to the side.

Then, without warning, the chopper begins to climb while two more passengers are still trying to exit.

Seconds later, the pair tumble flat onto the road as the person filming bursts into laughter.

Local media say the Russian Defence Ministry has refused to comment on the evacuation.