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Medvedev recommends decoration for crew who performed miracle belly-landing

"After analyzing the situation, it is necessary to draw up documents to recommend them for a decoration," the PM ruled
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev Alexander Astafyev/POOL/TASS
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev
© Alexander Astafyev/POOL/TASS

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/. The actions of the crew of the A321 plane, which conducted an emergency landing in a countryside field near Zhukovsky Airport, southeast of Moscow, deserve the highest praise and awards, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said opening a government meeting.

"It is evident that the crew’s actions deserve the highest praise. After analyzing the situation, it is necessary to draw up documents to recommend them for a decoration," he stated.

Medvedev stressed that a tragedy and loss of life was prevented thanks to the crewmembers’ skillful actions. "It is clear that commissions, which will have to find out what happened and why, will be working there," the prime minister added. "But anyway, the fact that they were able to land the plane under such difficult conditions is certainly very good news."

"Let experts look into the matter in accordance with all the procedures," he said addressing Russian Transport Minister Yevgeny Ditrikh.

A Ural Airlines Airbus A321, headed from Moscow to Crimea’s Simferopol, performed an emergency landing in the countryside near Zhukovsky International Airport earlier on Thursday. According to the Federal Air Transport Agency, the plane suffered a bird strike shortly after takeoff. The crew managed to land the plane in a cornfield and evacuate all the passengers. A criminal investigation has been launched into the circumstances of the emergency landing.