Russia Declares Day of National Mourning

Monday is a day of mourning in Russia in honour of the victims of the crash of a Russian military plane TU-154 in the Black Sea.

The plane crashed on Sunday morning, minutes after taking off from Sochi. There were 84 passengers and 8 crew members on board. Journalists and members of the famous Choir of the Red Army were among the passengers. They were travelling to the Hmeymim Russian military base in Syria in order to congratulate Russian military personnel there on the upcoming New Year.

On Monday, the first bodies of the victims will arrive in Moscow. All expert investigations related to the incident will be carried out in Moscow. The search for bodies did not stop all night and will continue on Monday.

All entertainment programmes on television channels and in cultural institutions have been cancelled due to the day of mourning. Religious services will be carried out in all churches.

The versions about the incident include a pilot's mistake, technical fault or fuel problems. The possibility of this being a terrorist act is not justified, announced Russian media, citing sources from the security services.