- 25 December 201623:50 GMT
- 23:05 GMTThe wife of 30-year-old ensemble artist Dmitry Litvyakov shared the last messages she received from her husband ahead of the fateful flight.“Go to bed my sweetheart )) I don't know how long the flight will be,” the man wrote to his wife Valentina and their little son Matvey, Lifenews reported.
- 22:17 GMTA Russian Defense Ministry medical facility is to be named after the renowned humanitarian activist Elizaveta Glinka, widely known as Dr. Liza, who was killed in the air disaster, Deputy Minister of Defense Ruslan Tsalikov told journalists.“The humanitarian cargo of the 'Fair Help' fund was sent by another aircraft. It is already in the airport of Khmeimim, and of course we will finish Elizaveta Glinka’s job,” Tsalikov added.
- 25 December 201622:17 GMTA Russian Defense Ministry medical facility is to be named after the renowned humanitarian activist Elizaveta Glinka, widely known as Dr. Liza, who was killed in the air disaster, Deputy Minister of Defense Ruslan Tsalikov told journalists.“The humanitarian cargo of the 'Fair Help' fund was sent by another aircraft. It is already in the airport of Khmeimim, and of course we will finish Elizaveta Glinka’s job,” Tsalikov added.
- 20:55 GMTRescue ships have scoured some 100 square kilometers and planes more than 240 square kilometers of the Black Sea, trying to pinpoint the exact location of the crash site, officials announced.
- 20:52 GMTTen bodies of plane crash victims have been transferred to a morgue in Sochi, TASS reported, citing a local source. Three women are among them, the source said.
- 20:27 GMTWords of support for the families of the deceased were also provided by the Iranian ambassador to Russia, Mehdi Sanai.“I offer my condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased in today’s air crash. The Iranian nation is mourning together with you. Eternal memory,” Sanai wrote on Twitter.
- 20:16 GMTItalian singer Toto Cutugno, who was invited to the same concert as the deceased ensemble members, said he was “shocked” by the news. Cutugno noted that he received an invitation for the event, but declined the offer due to prior arrangements. The singer performed several parts with the ensemble, including in 2013.
- 20:14 GMTIconic French star singer Mireille Mathieu who worked with the Aleksandrov Ensemble offered her condolences to Russia. “I am deeply saddened. My soul, my thoughts are now with the families [of the deceased] and Russia. For more than half a century these brilliant voices have been Russia’s pearl.”
- 20:13 GMTOn this holy day my thoughts are with the victims,their families & loved ones. My heartfelt condolences @PutinRF_Eng
- 19:47 GMTRescue services are scanning the presumable crash site of the Tu-154 in the Black Sea, Interfax reported, citing the Russian defense ministry. “Vessels equipped with side-scan sonars are checking the topography of the seabed in the area,” the ministry is quoted as saying.
- 19:45 GMT
- 19:12 GMTOfficials are not considering a terrorist act to have been the prime cause of the incident, a security source told Interfax. It added that the crashed plane was initially supposed to refuel in the city of Mozdok, North Ossetia, but due to bad weather redirected to the airport at the Black Sea coast resort of Adler. After landing the aircraft was guarded until it departed for Syria.
- 18:58 GMTThe ill-fated plane bound for Syria “was technically sound,” Russian defense ministry flight security service head, Sergey Baynetov, said. He added that the first pilot of the plane, Roman Volkov, had completed numerous flights taking the same route.
- 18:27 GMTThe weather will be conducive to the search and rescue operation at the crash site area, the head of the hydro-meteorological centre in Krasnodar region told TASS.
- 18:10 GMTIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his grief over the tragedy during a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
- 18:03 GMTRescue workers discovered the body of the 11th victim of the plane crash, the Russian defense ministry told Interfax.
- 17:14 GMTThe investigators are looking into all possible causes of the crash, but it is still “too early” to pinpoint, Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov, said. "The Investigative Committee is looking at various theories. Naturally, it is considering the entire spectrum and any possible reasons that might have led to the crash," he said.
- 16:52 GMTPolish President Andrzej Duda expressed his condolences to his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. Duda called the presumed death of the members of the Alexandrov Ensemble “an irreplaceable loss for Russian culture,” TASS reports.
- 16:51 GMTThe Russian Defense Ministry's technical committee will look into the qualifications of the ill-fated plane's pilots. “As part of a technical investigation of the Defense Ministry, all these questions will be examined,” Russian Transport Minister Maksim Sokolov told journalists. He added that according to his information, the captain of the plane “had enough flight hours” under his belt.
- 25 December 201616:31 GMTThe search and rescue operation will continue throughout the night and could be lengthy, Sokolov said. He added that rescuers will have to look for the black boxes of the crashed Tu-154 at the sea bottom, since they are not equipped with special responders to help track them.
- 16:30 GMTHead of the Russian Transport Ministry Maksim Sokolov said that so far the rescue workers have found no survivors from the Tu-154 crash. “Unfortunately, no survivors could be found as of yet,” Sokolov told journalists after a meeting of the state commission on the investigation of the accident.
- 15:45 GMTWorld-famous Russian model Natalya Vodyanova commented on the presumed death of renowned humanitarian and charity activist Elizaveta Glinka (Dr. Liza).“To me, Dr. Lisa was a Russian Mother Teresa. An irreparable loss,” Vodyanova wrote on her Facebook page.
- 15:32 GMTRussian rescue workers will use special boats for work at depths of around 400 meters at the suspected crash site, officials announced.
- 15:06 GMT32 vessels, 80 divers, and five helicopters are involved in the search operation, the Russian Ministry of Defense said.
- 15:05 GMTDavid Johnston from Celtic Massed Pipes personally knew the artistic director of the Alexandrov Ensemble, and shared with RT his memories of their first encounter, and his grief.“I remember my first meeting with General Khalilov in 2010 on the Red Square. He asked me to do something on the bagpipe which wasn't possible. We were standing in the middle of the Red Square, and he was telling me, 'You can!' And I was telling him, 'I can't make it possible.' And we had this bit of a fend-off. Ever since then, we were the best of friends, and have a lot respect for each other,” Johnston said.“It's a terrible loss. He was a fantastic, powerful figure, and everybody respected him,” he added.
- 14:28 GMTThe identification of the victims' bodies will be conducted in Moscow, the Russian Ministry of Transport said.
- 25 December 201613:55 GMT
- 13:42 GMT
- 13:26 GMTRussian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova extended her condolences to the victims and their families. She especially mentioned humanitarian activist Elizaveta Glinka, saying she was the “embodiment of dignity in our country.”Glinka was a “social and political activist, but she was outside any politics, above any politics,” Zakharova added.
- 13:25 GMTRussian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has expressed his condolences, saying that “the tragic news of the Russian Defense Ministry's plane crash has echoed with pain in my heart,” adding that he is praying for the victims and their loved ones.
- 13:20 GMTRussian social media site VKontakte has blocked the comments sections on crash victims' pages, Kommersant FM radio reports.
- 12:55 GMTRelatives of the crash victims have started to arrive in Sochi, as well as psychologists who are assisting them, a local official told Interfax.
- 12:54 GMTThe navigator pilot of the crashed Tu-154 plane was part of a crew that managed to safely land an out-of-control aircraft back in 2011.Pilot of crashed #Tu154 was part of crew that managed to safely land out-of-control aircraft in 2011
- 12:44 GMTSyrian President Bashar Assad has sent his condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin.“To our great regret, we received the news about the crash of Russia's Tu-154. Our friends were on board, friends who were planning to share with us and the people of Aleppo the joy of the victory and holidays,” Assad said in a telegram to Putin, as cited by TASS.
- 12:33 GMTPeople are laying flowers and candles near the Russian Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine to honor those who died in the Tu-154 crash in the Black Sea, the embassy's press attache Oleg Grishin told TASS.
- 12:30 GMTTen bodies have been recovered so far, according to the latest official information provided by the Russian Defense Ministry.
- 12:16 GMTThe search and rescue operation includes 27 vessels, and over 3,000 people are involved, the Russian Defense Ministry stated, as cited by TASS.
- 12:15 GMTThe search and rescue surface area has been determined, and constitutes 10.5 square kilometers, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
- 12:01 GMTGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel has also “expressed condolences to the Russian President Vladimir Putin,” and said that “her thoughts are with the close ones of numerous victims,” as cited by the deputy government's spokesperson, Ulrike Demmer, RIA Novosti reported.
- 11:58 GMTThe head of the German Foreign Ministry, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has expressed his condolences, and hopes that rescue teams will still be able to find survivors.“The news about the crash of the Russian military plane with the great military choir on board over the Black Sea provokes deep sorrow in me. I hope that maybe they will be able to find and rescue survivors. Our condolences are for families and close ones of the victims of this terrible catastrophe,” his statement said.FM #Steinmeier: Grief over crash of #Russian plane into the Black Sea. Our sympathy is with the victims' families and relatives.
- 11:42 GMTInterfax news agency has put the number of bodies found at 12, citing emergency sources.
- 11:36 GMTBodies of 10 crash victims have been found, a source in local security services told TASS.
- 11:35 GMTThe identification of the victims' remains will require DNA testing, the head of a well-known Russian medical center in Moscow, Zurab Kekelidze, told RIA, adding that the center's specialists will provide assistance for their colleagues in Sochi, should it be necessary.
- 11:17 GMTMuscovites are laying flowers at the Alexandrov Ensemble building in the Russian capital.
- 11:16 GMTA thorough investigation into the causes of the crash will be conducted, and everything will be done to provide support for the victims' families, Putin said.
- 25 December 201611:12 GMTMonday, December 26 has been declared a day of mourning in Russia for the victims of the Tu-154 crash, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
- 10:50 GMTThe Russian media outlet Life.ru has posted the last video of the plane taking off in Sochi.
- 10:48 GMT
- 10:46 GMTUS Ambassador to Russia John Tefft has expressed condolences over the tragedy, Embassy spokesperson Maria Olson posted on Twitter.Tefft: our thoughts, prayers with the loved ones of passengers, crew of Tu-154, and with the Russian people @RusEmbUSA@EURPressOffice
- 10:41 GMTSeveral major Russian TV channels are changing their regularly-scheduled programming due to the tragedy: Channel One will not air entertainment shows, as well as promo reels for New Year's specials; REN TV will air hourly news bulletins and will not run any entertainment programs; NTV will cancel the airing of a New Year's film, as well as entertainment shows.
- 10:20 GMT“The circumstances of today's events will be carefully investigated. And everyone who's affected by this tragedy will be given the necessary help. This terrible tragedy took the lives of people full of energy and plans. Among the dead are journalists, military men, musicians. They were flying to Syria with a kind and peaceful mission. It's impossible to come to terms with this grievous loss, it's irreparable,” Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an official statement.
- 10:15 GMTFour vessels, four helicopters, a plane, and UAVs are involved in the search operation. Additionally, six ships and vessels of the Black Sea fleet, remotely operated deep submergence vehicles, and 63 divers have been deployed. 50 more are set to arrive at the scene within the next hour, according to a defense ministry statement.
- 09:49 GMT
- 09:49 GMTFour bodies of crash victims have been taken aboard a rescue vessel, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
- 25 December 201609:42 GMTSnob.ru media outlet has updated its information regarding the suspected death of humanitarian activist Elizaveta Glinka, saying that her husband confirmed Glinka had boarded the Tu-154 flight.
- 09:34 GMTLocal authorities are preparing accommodation and psychological support groups for relatives of the crash victims, the mayor of Sochi's press service said.
- 09:14 GMTThe plane disappeared from radar two minutes after it took off, according to the spokesperson of the Russian Defense Ministry, Igor Konashenkov, as cited by TASS.
- 09:03 GMTHumanitarian activist Elizaveta Glinka's husband, lawyer Gleb Glinka, confirmed to Snob media outlet that his wife died in the Tu-154 crash.
- 08:36 GMTAll but three choir singers of the Alexandrov Ensemble were aboard the plane, lead solo singer Vadim Ananyev told TASS. He himself had to stay home and miss the flight due to the birth of his third child.#TU154: All but 3 choir singers of Alexandrov Ensemble were aboard plane - lead solo singer Vadim Ananyev confirms
- 08:36 GMT
- 08:34 GMTThe head of the Presidential Council for Human Rights, Mikhail Fedotov, said that neither reason nor heart can accept the fact of the prominent humanitarian activist's death.Elizaveta Glinka, head of the 'Fair Help' fund, was travelling to Latakia to deliver medical supplies to a hospital.“The mind can't understand that she is no longer with us. The heart doesn't want to believe this... We knew she was headed to Latakia to take medical supplies to a university hospital,” Fedotov said.“We were hoping for a miracle until the very last moment. And she was a miracle herself, a heaven-sent message of virtue,” he added.
- 08:08 GMTProminent Russian humanitarian and charity activist Elizaveta Glinka is on the list of passengers provided by the defense ministry.It is not clear yet if she was on board, with conflicting reports emerging about her current location.
- 08:05 GMTThe last recording by NTV sound engineer Evgeny Tolstov was posted on Facebook and was made at Chkalovsky Airport on the outskirts of Moscow.
- 25 December 201607:53 GMTAmong the victims of the crash were the head of the military band, Valery Khalilov, and the head of the defense ministry’s department of culture, Anton Gubankov.
- 07:51 GMTThe Russian Defense Ministry has released a list of people who were on board the crashed Tu-154. In includes eight crew members, eight military troops, nine journalists, 64 members of the Alexandrov Ensemble, two civilian officials, and an employee from an international humanitarian organization.
- 07:44 GMTThe press service of Russian TV channel Zvezda said that their employees were on board as well: correspondent Pavel Obukhov, cameraman Aleksandr Suranov, and cameraman's assistant Valery Rzhevsky.
- 07:22 GMTThe debris flew apart along the coast, across a 1.5 kilometer area, and is at depths of 50 to 100 meters, a source told RIA Novosti.
- 07:21 GMTDocuments belonging to the Channel One journalists have been found at the scene, TASS news agency reports, citing a security service source.
- 07:21 GMTA source told Interfax news agency that rescue workers have discovered several bodies at the scene.“Emergency workers are finding bodies, there are a few of them,” the source said.
- 07:21 GMTJournalists from another Russian TV channel, NTV, were among those on board: correspondent Mikhail Luzhetsky, cameraman Oleg Pestov, and sound engineer Evgeny Tolstov, according to media reports.
- 07:20 GMTThe first victim's body has been discovered six kilometers from the shore, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov stated, as cited by RIA Novosti.
- 07:13 GMTNTV television channel reported that the third crew on board the crashed Tu-154 was their own.
- 25 December 201607:12 GMT
- 07:10 GMTA rescue boat has found the body of a person who apparently died in the Tu-154 crash, the defense ministry reported. It was picked up about six kilometers off the coast.
- 07:06 GMTThe Russia Defense Ministry has updated the number of passengers: there were 84 on board, not 83, which brings the total to 92.
- 07:04 GMTThe Russian president's spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said that Vladimir Putin is in constant contact with the emergency and defense ministries.
- 07:04 GMTOne of the solo singers from the Alexandrov Ensemble, Vadim Ananyev, had to stay home. The Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda spoke with him.“My colleagues and friends flew there – the choir, about 50 people, a group of bayan and balalaika players. They should have given one concert and come back. I don't [know] what to say yet, just hope for the best. I didn't go due to family matters: my son has just been born, he is the third child in the family, and I stayed home to help my wife,” Ananyev told the newspaper.
- 07:00 GMTRossiya 24 news channel said there were 92, rather than 91, people on board, including 84 passengers and eight crew members. The report cited updated information from the defense ministry.
- 06:49 GMTZvezda TV channel said three of its staff were on board the crashed Tu-154 transport plane. Channel One said it also had three people on the plane. Early reports mentioned nine journalists on board the plane, and it was not immediately clear which outlet had sent the third team.
- 06:42 GMTThe Committee is now confiscating documents related to the flight, and is questioning those responsible for flight preparations, TASS reported.
- 06:35 GMTThe Investigative Committee has launched a criminal case into the Tu-154 crash, according to article 351, “Failure to comply with the rules of flight security and preparation,” TASS reports, citing Investigative Committee representative Svetlana Petrenko.
- 06:34 GMTNo survivors have been found so far, emergency services said.“Unfortunately, during over an hour of search and rescue efforts, no emergency life rafts have been found,” Interfax cited a source as saying.
- 25 December 201606:22 GMTThe passengers' personal belongings supposedly have been found off the Sochi coast, the local emergency source told TASS.
- 06:21 GMTThree journalists working for the Russian Channel One were on board of the plane, TASS reported citing the channel's press service."Dmitry Runkov, correspondent, Vadim Denisov, cameraman, and sound engineer Aleksandr Soydov were on board of the plane," PR director Larisa Krymova has said, also confirming that the journalists were flying to Syria.
- 06:18 GMTDebris from the plane has been found at a depth of 50-70 meters, 1.5 kilometers from the shore, the information department of the Russian Defense Ministry stated.
- 06:02 GMTThe crash happened while the plane was ascending, and the crew didn't signal anything was wrong, a source told Interfax.
- 06:00 GMTRussian President Vladimir Putin has been informed about the situation, and is following the search and rescue, TASS news agency reports.
- 05:58 GMTAnother source told TASS that the plane's chassis was discovered 1.5 kilometers from the shore.
- 05:55 GMT
- 05:53 GMTThe plane apparently fell into the Black Sea, TASS reports, citing a source from the local security forces.“While examining the water zone located in 6-8 kilometers from the seashore, an oil spot was found, and we suppose it could be caused by the plane crash there. Rescue vessels have been sent there,” a source from the local security forces also told Interfax news agency.
- 05:49 GMTAccording to preliminary information, the aircraft was maneuvering over the Black Sea, and fell down, Rossiya-24 channel has reported citing own sources.
- 25 December 201605:46 GMT“Alexandrov Ensemble singers made up the majority of the missing passengers of the Tu-154,” a defense source told RIA, adding that 90 members of the choir were supposed to be flown to Syria on two Russian military planes.
- 05:45 GMT
- 05:44 GMTSeven ships and a chopper are searching for the lost aircraft in the Black Sea, a source told RIA Novosti.
- 05:44 GMTTechnical failure or human error could be the main cause behind the accident, RIA Novosti reports, citing a military source. “Among the two major versions of the crash of the Tu-154 are technical failure of the aircraft and an error in piloting,” a source said.
- 05:33 GMTAboard the missing Tu-154 aircraft were journalists from Channel 1 and Zvezda, a source in the defense ministry told RIA Novosti.
- 05:23 GMTMembers of the Alexandrov Ensemble, an official army choir of the Russian Armed Forces, and nine journalists were on board the missing plane, the defense ministry says.They were going to Russia’s Khmeimin Airbase in Syria for New Year celebrations, the ministry added.
- 04:30 GMTRussian air traffic controllers have lost contact with a Tu-154 airliner, which disappeared from radar shortly after take-off in Sochi with 91 people on board.
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