Turkey offers condolences over Russian plane crash

Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik Sunday expressed condolences to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Shoygu, over the Russian plane crashed in the Black Sea, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

"I have learned with great sorrow that the Russian Defense Ministry's Tu-154 military transport aircraft departing Russian city of Sochi crashed in Black Sea, leaving the passengers and the crew aboard dead," Isik said in a statement from the ministry.

The minister also offered his condolences to the families and the people of Russia.

Earlier on Sunday, a Tu-154 aircraft with 92 people on board Ministry crashed in the Black Sea after it disappeared from radar.

Apart from eight crew members, there were nine journalists along with musicians from the Red Army Choir, or the Alexandrov Ensemble heading to celebrate the New Year with troops.

Russian Defense Ministry confirmed Sunday that fragments of the Tu-154 plane were found 1.5 km from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi at a depth of 50 to 70 meters.

There is no sign of survivors at the crash site, according to the Russian defense ministry.

source: Xinhua