MOSCOW, April 9. /TASS/. Russian investigators have no grounds to say that flight control team was responsible for Polish presidential Tu-154 plane crash near Smolensk in 2010, Investigative Committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said on Thursday.
"Talking about recent statements by Polish prosecutors accusing Russian air traffic controllers, I want to reiterate that Russian investigators have no grounds to say that flight control team bears even minimal responsibility for the air crash. They acted in full compliance with instructions and international rules for civilian aviation," Markin said.
The Investigative Committee spokesman described as unfounded Poland’s statements about politicizing the issue of handing over crashed jet debris to Poland. "There is no politics here and there can be none. In any country in the world, while investigation in underway, evidence remains with the authority conducting the investigation. [This is] an absolutely standard world practice. Fragments of the crashed plane are evidence in the criminal case, that is why the issue of handing them over [to Poland] will be considered only after the investigation ends and a legal decision is made," he added.
In 2010, Poland's presidential Tu-154 plane crashed near Smolensk, killing Polish president Lech Kaczynski, his wife and 94 other passengers.