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Source: Tu-154 plane of Russia’s Defense Ministry falls in Black Sea

Debris of chassis of Tu-154 plane found some 1.5 km from Black Sea shore in Soch

© EPA PHOTO EPA SERGEI ILNITSKY, archive

MOSCOW, December 25. /TASS/. The Tu-154 plane of Russia’s Defense Ministry has fallen in the Black Sea, a source in the regional law enforcement services told TASS.

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"According to preliminary data, it fell in the Black Sea," the source said.

The source also said that debris and chassis of the Tu-154 plane of Russia’s Defense Ministry have been found some 6 kilometers from the Black Sea coast.

"The parts of the plane and undercarriage, and also an oily spot have been found some six kilometers from the coast," the source said.

The Defense Ministry said the plane disappeared from radars at 05.40 a.m. Moscow time (02.40 a.m. GMT) shortly after taking off from Sochi. There are 91 people onboard the plane, including 83 passengers. Among them are Russian servicemen who flew to congratulate with the New Year the air group of Russia’s Aerospace Forces at the Hmeymim airbase in Syria, musicians of the famed army choir, the Alexandrov Ensemble, and nine representatives of Russian mass media.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been informed of the situation with the missing Tu-154 plane. He receives information from emergencies services on the search effort.

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