“NO EVIDENCE OF TERRORISM” IN SOCHI AIR CRASH – RUSSIAN TRANSPORT POLICE
NTV Mir, Moscow
3 May 06
Igor Zhukov, the head of the North Caucasus Ministry of Internal
Affairs transport department, has told a news conference that terrorism
can be ruled out as a cause of the crash of an Armavia Airbus A320 in
the sea off the Russian southern resort of Sochi, Russian NTV Mir’s
“Segodnya” news reported on 3 May.
“There is no evidence of terrorism. It may be pilot error or some
technical failure or a ground services failure or something wrong
with the aircraft, but in no way can we say this is a case of
terrorism. That is the most important thing,” the TV news showed
him saying.
The same bulletin showed Armavia spokeswoman Zhazmin Vilyan talking to
the media at Armenia’s Zvartnots airport: “According to our initial
reckoning, there were 26 Russian citizens among the passengers, one
from Georgia and one from Ukraine. That’s our initial summary. We
are clarifying the list now,” she said.