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Over 40 vessels, 5 helicopters combing area of Tu-154 plane crash in Black Sea

MOSCOW, December 26. /TASS/. A total of 45 vessels, five helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles are combing the area of the wreckage of the Tupolev Tu-154 plane that crashed in the Black Sea near Sochi, the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

"At present, 45 vessels, five helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles are working in the search area," the ministry said.

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Search operation around Tu-154 crash site expanded

Specifically, Granat-4 unmanned aerial vehicles are monitoring the sea situation in all the sectors of the search, the ministry said.

The Russian Defense Ministry continues building up forces and resources in the area of the plane crash.

"Ships, divers and aircraft are arriving at the wreckage site," the ministry said.

The Russian Defense Ministry’s Tu-154 plane carrying 92 people, including eight crewmembers, disappeared from radar screens on Sunday morning local time two minutes after taking off from the Adler airport. Later, the plane’s debris was found several kilometers from the sea shore near the Black Sea city of Sochi.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered to set up a government commission to investigate the plane’s crash.

Russia has announced December 26 as a day of mourning over the plane crash victims.

Military operation in Ukraine

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Ukraine’s military loses positions near Avdeyevka, says DPR

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Israeli aviation strikes towns in Gaza Strip

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Russia has significant amount of West’s funds in case of confiscation of its assets

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US 'not forgetting' to help itself with aid to Ukraine — Kremlin

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French president says creating Israeli-type air defense network for Ukraine impossible

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North Korea conducts new anti-aircraft missile test — KCNA

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Russian defense chief checks implementation of orders to develop drones

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Proposals on Russian assets confiscation undermine financial system — Finance Minister

Russia urges the International Monetary Fund to resume the effort of improving the global monetary and financial system, Anton Siluanov noted

Russian forces destroy Ukrainian command post, two S-300 missile launchers over day

Russian forces improved their frontline positions and repelled a Ukrainian army counterattack in the Donetsk area where the enemy lost roughly 590 troops over the past day, the ministry reported

Russian stock indices rising on Friday

The MOEX Russia Index edged up by 0.44%, the RTS Index surged by 1.13%

Kiev lacks both troops and equipment near Chasov Yar in DPR, says retired general

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Founder of neo-Nazi cell in Crimea flees to Georgia — source

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Three Ukrainian soldiers swim across Dnieper to surrender to Russian troops — governor

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Armenia’s relations with Russia not at their highest — top diplomat

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Russia knows French military instructors working in Ukraine — Lavrov

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Russian economy proves resilience amid large-scale sanctions — IMF

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West wants to make Transnistria hotbed of tension — Lavrov

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Putin signs law on holding World Friendship Games

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Senior Chinese official to take part in conference on security in Russia — diplomat

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Russia’s defense chief inspects production of tanks, flamethrowers at Siberian enterprise

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Security guarantees on Ukraine did not apply to Crimea, Donbass — Lavrov

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G7 leaders to decide on Russian assets use — Italian Deputy PM

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Sites for practicing ways to counter drones to be set up at all Russian testing grounds

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Israeli troops continue raids in West Bank — TV

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Ukrainian POW exposes poor battlefield performance of NATO-supplied Javelins, NLAWs

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FACTBOX: Collective Security Treaty Organization

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Russian military base may appear in CAR’s eastern region — President Touadera

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Ukrainian drone damages energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kaluga Region

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