Photo: Marina Lystseva/TASS

A Russian military plane with 92 people on board has crashed into the Black Sea, Russia’s defence ministry says.

The plane disappeared from radar 20 minutes after taking off from the resort of Sochi at 05:20 (02:20 GMT). Fragments have now been found and one body has been retrieved.

The defence ministry said the Tu-154 was carrying service personnel, members of the famed Alexandrov military band, and reporters.

The plane was flying to Latakia, Syria.

The flight originated in Moscow and had landed at Adler airport in Sochi for refuelling.

The defence ministry said in a statement: “Fragments of the Tu-154 plane of the Russian defence ministry were found 1.5km from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi at a depth of 50 to 70 metres.”

So far no survivors have been found, local rescuers told the Interfax news agency.

Defence ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov confirmed that the “body of a person killed as a result the crash… was found 6km off the coast of Sochi”.