There is a show on DirecTV about airplane crash investigations around the world. The other night was the one about the president of Poland’s plane crashing a few years ago in Russia, and it was a Russian air plane. They guys on there were saying that Russia AVERAGED 10 crashes a year and people over there just took air plane crashes as normal and a part of doing business. So, a plane crash in Russia is nothing new, we just don’t hear about them as much as we do over here.
The Tu-154 was carrying a lot of classified papers.
http://www.fontanka.ru/2016/12/25/016/?utm_source=novapress (In Russian)
Very good point. They do have, like much of the world, much different safety levels than the US.