Was the Russian Tu-154 crash caused by terrorism?

(Baonghean.vn) -A source in Russia's security service told TASS news agency on December 25 that a terrorist attack was not considered the main hypothesis in the crash of the Tu-154 plane near the Black Sea city of Sochi.

Search and rescue operations for the Russian Tu-154 aircraft are underway. Photo: TASS.

“The Tu-154 took off from Chkalovsky airport, where passengers and luggage were thoroughly checked. According to the plan, the plane was supposed to stop in Mozdok to refuel, but due to bad weather conditions it landed in Adler. Therefore, no one expected the plane to crash in Sochi,” the source said.

The source added that upon landing in Sochi, the plane was carefully monitored: “Only two customs officers boarded the plane and the pilot got out to control the fueling process. No meals were served on board. Refueling was carried out by ordinary workers.”

Therefore, according to the above source, there is no evidence of a possible terrorist attack, and neither investigators nor security agencies consider this the main hypothesis.

The Russian Defense Ministry's Tu-154 plane disappeared from radar screens at 5:40 a.m. Moscow time (9:40 a.m. Vietnam time), shortly after taking off from the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.

According to the latest information, there were 92 people on board the plane, including 8 crew members and 84 passengers. Among them were the CEO of the Fair Aid charity, Elizaveta Glinka, commonly known as Doctor Liza in Russia, as well as many military personnel and reporters from Channel One, Zvezda and NTV.

The plane also carried more than 60 members of the famous Alexandrov Art Troupe of the Russian Armed Forces. They were on their way to perform New Year's Eve with the Russian Air Force at the Hmeymim Air Base in Syria.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had found Tu-154 wreckage 1.5 km off the coast of Sochi, at a depth of 50-70 m. Eleven bodies have been found and it is unlikely that anyone survived.

The search and rescue operation is still ongoing, and the Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case for what is believed to be a violation of flight safety regulations leading to fatal consequences.

Thu Giang

(According to TASS)