Missing: Russian Plane Carrying 83 Passengers on Board Disappears Off Radar Near Sochi

December 25, 2016, 7:09 AM (IDT)

BREAKING: Plane debris and oil slick spotted 6 kilometers from coast of Sochi, after Russian military plane went missing. So far, no survivors have been found in the sea, local rescue services told Interfax.

Local news agencies are quoting the defence ministry as saying debris from the missing Russian military plane has been found in the Black Sea.

“Fragments of the Tu-154 plane of the Russian defence ministry were found 1.5 kilometres from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi at a depth of 50 to 70 metres,” the ministry said.

Official Russian sources say the disaster was likely caused by a technical fault or pilot error.

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A Russian plane carrying with 83 passengers and eight crew members on board vanished from radar early Sunday morning shortly after taking off from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russian media has reported.

The plane disappeared from radar 20 minutes after taking off from Sochi’s Adler airport at 05:20 (02:20 GMT). 

The Tu-154 plane reportedly belongs to the defense ministry and was flying to Syria’s Latakia province. Conflicting reports indicate the plane may have been carrying a Red Army band to perform for troops in Syria, or the renowned Alexandrov folk dance troupe, the Russian army’s official choir, on board the plane. Additonal military personel and some reporters were also on the missing plane.

A search operation was underway immediately, Russia’s state-run Rossiya24 TV channel indicated.

The aircraft went missing as it was manoeuvring over Russia’s territorial waters, a source at the emergency ministry was quoted as saying by various Russian news agencies.

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