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Identifying victims of Tu-154 plane crash to take around four weeks

All relatives of the plane crash victims have furnished their biological material for analysis, according to First Deputy Russian Health Minister Igor Kagramanyan

MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Identification of the remains of those killed in the Tu-154 plane crash will take up to four weeks, First Deputy Russian Health Minister Igor Kagramanyan said at a news conference at TASS.

"We expect that all the necessary procedures will take up to four weeks," the official said, adding that at the moment all relatives of the plane crash victims have furnished their biological material for analysis.

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Transport minister says main phase of search operation at Tu-154 crash site is over

A Russian Defense Ministry Tu-154 plane bound for Syria crashed in the early morning hours of December 25 shortly after taking off from Sochi. There were 92 people on board the aircraft, including eight crew members and 84 passengers. Among them were journalists, servicemen and musicians from the world-renowned Alexandrov ensemble, the official choir of the Russian armed forces, who set off to celebrate New Year’s Eve with Russia’s Aerospace Forces at the Hmeymim air base in Syria.

The Executive Director of the Spravedlivaya Pomoshch (Russian for Fair Aid) charity fund Elizaveta Glinka, known to the Russian public as Dr. Liza, was also on board the flight.

The Defense Ministry said that debris from the Tu-154 aircraft was found 1.5 km off the coast of Sochi at a depth of 50-70 meters.

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Kremlin vows to resolve situation with Turkish Airlines refusing service to Russians

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Russian tourists flock to North Korea — embassy

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Blinken’s visit to China meant to shatter Russian-Chinese ties — senior Russian diplomat

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Gagauzia against Chisinau’s policy of severing ties with Russia

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US arms supplies unable to change situation in Kiev's favor — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov pointed out that a year ago the opponents "were telling everyone that they were waiting for the moment Russia would be defeated on the battlefield"

US military aid for Kiev cannot stop Russian army’s advance — North Korean diplomat

The US Congress House of Representatives earlier passed bills on military aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

Bolivian leader decries fresh US military aid for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan

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Russia tasked with 'building new world' — Putin

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Russia to retaliate immediately if Kiev gets ATACMS missiles — diplomat

Konstantin Gavrilov also noted that the "manic efforts" of some Western OSCE member countries to isolate Russia "are futile and will backfire on their initiators"

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Russia, Africa united by common vision on global issues — senior diplomat

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Radioactive cloud from Ukraine’s eliminated munitions drifts to Europe — Security Council

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Ukraine says Western systems ineffective against Russia's electronic warfare

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Senior Russian, Tajikistani diplomats talk about fighting terrorists, radicals

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US effectively dooms Ukraine by its new decisions, Russian envoy says

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Lukashenko says US rues giving rise to Russia-China alliance

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Iran denies reports it pulled some military advisers from Syria — Al Mayadeen

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Russian forces take Ukrainian strongholds near Klescheyevka under control

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