Flowers and Candles Laid in Tribute to Tu-154 Victims

People in Moscow, Russia, laid flowers and lit candles on December 25 at a statue of Aleksandr Alexandrov, the founder of the Alexandrov Ensemble, members of which were amongst those killed when a Russian military plane crashed into the Black Sea.

The plane that crashed, a Tu-154, was carrying 92 people, including military personnel, members of the press, and 64 members of the Russian army song and dance group the Alexandrov Ensemble, according to a list of passengers and crew released by the Russian defense ministry.

Airplane debris and four bodies had been found by early afternoon on December 25, Russian officials said. A large recovery operation was under way involving the Russian defense and emergency ministries.

A technical fault was the probable cause, while pilot error and terrorism were unlikely, according to the Russian defense ministry.

The Russian emergencies ministry said it had sent divers who were approved to operate at depths of 20 to 90 meters, and a deep-water search apparatus called Falcon, which could operate at depths of 80 to 110 meters. Credit: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty via Storyful