Free Republic

A Syrian-bound Russian military plane carrying 92 people including Red Army Choir members crashed in the Black Sea minutes after taking off from Sochi. The Tu-154 model plane, which belonged to the Russian defense ministry, crashed shortly after take-off from the southern city of Adler at 5.40am (2.40am GMT). There were no survivors. Four bodies have been recovered off the coast of the resort city of Sochi, as a frantic search operation continued to find the missing. Viktor Ozerov, head of the defence affairs committee at the upper house of Russian parliament, said he 'totally excluded' terrorism as a possible...

A Russian plane has disappeared from radar just minutes after take-off from the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russian media say. They are quoting a source at the emergency ministry as saying the missing aircraft is a Tu-154. Between 70 and 100 people are reported to be on board the plane. Unconfirmed reports say the aircraft belongs to the defence ministry, flying to Syria's Latakia province. Russian officials have so far made no comment.

MOSCOW--A Russian military plane with 92 people on board has crashed into the Black Sea on its way to Syria, Russian news agencies reported on Sunday, and it was unlikely there would be any survivors. Russian agencies, citing unnamed security sources, said the TU-154 aircraft had crashed in the sea near the southern Russian city of Sochi after disappearing from radar screens. The plane was carrying Russian servicemen and members of a renowned military choir and dance ensemble, the Alexandrov Ensemble, who were being flown into Russia's Hmeymim air base in Syria to entertain military personnel in the run-up to...