MOSCOW
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed on Thursday the death of Russian citizens on board the plane that crashed in Washington a day earlier.
Addressing reports that former Russian figure skaters were among the passengers on the aircraft that collided with a military helicopter, Peskov, in a press briefing in Moscow, said: “These distressing reports are being confirmed. There were also other fellow Russian citizens on board. It is a sad day with bad news from Washington.”
Asked whether the incident would prompt any high-level discussions between Russian and US leaders, Peskov said: “There are no plans for high-level contacts yet.”
Peskov then extended condolences to the victims’ families. “We deeply regret this tragedy and extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their loved ones, including our fellow citizens who perished in this plane crash,” he said.
On Wednesday evening, an American Airlines passenger plane and a US Army Black Hawk helicopter collided in mid-air near Washington’s Ronald Reagan Airport.
The aircraft, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members, was en route from Kansas. The helicopter had three military personnel on board.
Following the collision, the passenger plane crashed into the Potomac River. A search and rescue operation is currently underway, and officials have so far declined to say if anyone survived the crash.
The US media also claimed that members of the US junior figure skating team were on board.
A source told the Russian state news agency TASS that Russian world figure skating champions Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, coaches for the team, were also among the passengers.
