Some 100 family members of the Israeli victims who perished on board Sibir Airlines Flight 1812, which fell into the Black Sea on October 4th, took off for Russia today on a special flight. The relatives will assist in identifying the victims\' bodies, including providing DNA samples in cases where no other means of identification is possible. Over 50 Israelis were on board the Sibir Airlines flight. The recovered bodies of the victims are being transferred to the Russian town of Sochi, close to the site of the tragedy. The Israel Air Force Hercules cargo flight, which took off yesterday with 35 IDF and police personnel, arrived in Russia this morning; the teams will take part in ongoing recovery efforts and will assist in the probe into the cause of the fall of the plane. Russia announced that efforts to find further bodies will end today.
The United States maintains that it was a stray Ukrainian missile launched during exercises that downed the plane. Ukrainian authorities deny this, and Russian authorities, who originally accepted the Ukrainian denial, are now upset at the Ukranian military for not providing satisfactory information about the missiles fired and their intended targets. American defense sources say that the surface-to-air missile which they believe hit the plane bombards its target with thousands of small metal balls, which would explain the holes discovered in the cockpit door.
A special memorial session will be convened in the Knesset this Thursday, marking seven days since the fall of the Russian passenger plane into the Black Sea.
The United States maintains that it was a stray Ukrainian missile launched during exercises that downed the plane. Ukrainian authorities deny this, and Russian authorities, who originally accepted the Ukrainian denial, are now upset at the Ukranian military for not providing satisfactory information about the missiles fired and their intended targets. American defense sources say that the surface-to-air missile which they believe hit the plane bombards its target with thousands of small metal balls, which would explain the holes discovered in the cockpit door.
A special memorial session will be convened in the Knesset this Thursday, marking seven days since the fall of the Russian passenger plane into the Black Sea.