MOSCOW, January 30. /TASS/. Russian figure skaters and other fellow citizens were on board the plane that crashed in Washington, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced.
Commenting on reports that former Russian figure skaters were on the plane, he said: "We see, unfortunately, that this sad information is confirmed." "Our other compatriots were also there. Bad news from Washington today," the spokesman told reporters.
On the evening of January 29, a Bombardier CRJ700 passenger plane and a Black Hawk military helicopter collided midair near Ronald Reagan National Airport, a 10-15-minute ride from downtown Washington. The plane was operating an American Airlines flight from Kansas carrying 60 passengers and four crew members; at least three servicemen were aboard the helicopter. After the collision, the plane crashed into the Potomac River, where a search and rescue mission is underway. According to media reports, at least 19 bodies have been recovered from the river, with no survivors reported.
According to The Wichita Eagle newspaper, members of the US junior figure skating team were on board. A source told TASS that Russian figure skaters Yevgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board the crashed plane.