A Russian aircraft bound for Syria carrying a famed military band to entertain Russia?s forces there crashed into the Black Sea moments after takeoff Sunday, and the authorities said all 92 people aboard were believed dead.
The cause of the crash is under investigation, although initial Russian news media reports indicated it was a technical failure rather than terrorism.
The Russian military has had only minor casualties throughout its deployment in Syria, but the country has experienced a series of setbacks in recent days.
On Monday, the Russian ambassador to Turkey was assassinated at an art exhibit in Ankara, with the killer yelling ?don?t forget Aleppo, don?t forget Syria!?
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That came not long after forces from the Islamic State recaptured the storied Syrian city of Palmyra, forcing the Russian garrison that had been stationed there since helping to take the city last spring to flee.
RUSSIA
Sochi
Caspian
Sea
Black Sea
GEORGIA
AZERBAIJAN
ARMENIA
TURKEY
Aleppo
Khmeimim Air Base
IRAQ
IRAN
SYRIA
200 Miles
JORDAN
By The New York Times
The military plane, a Russian-made Tupolev Tu-154, disappeared from radar two minutes after taking off from the resort town of Sochi. Russia?s official weather forecast agency said that conditions near the airport were ?normal, easy,? the Interfax news agency reported. The airplane was technically fit, the Defense Ministry said.
Wreckage of the plane, which was carrying 84 passengers and eight crew members, was found in the sea, most of it about one mile from shore, the Russian Defense Ministry said. No survivors have been found at the crash site, Russian officials said.
Passengers on the flight, which originated in Moscow and stopped in Sochi to refuel, included 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, the Russian military choir, who were traveling to Russia?s Khmeimim Air Base in Syria. The band planned to serenade Russian personnel in Syria on New Year?s Eve.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/25/wo...-ensemble.html
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