Russia’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday that at least three Russian passport holders were among the victims of a recent air crash in Washington, DC.
The incident involved a midair collision between an Army helicopter and a commercial jetliner late Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of all 67 individuals on both aircraft, according to officials.
The jetliner had 60 passengers and four crew members, while the helicopter was carrying three soldiers.
Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated in a briefing that it has been confirmed that Russian nationals were on the airliner, including Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, world champions in pairs figure skating, as well as Soviet figure skater Irina Polyanskaya. She noted that they were all coaching in the United States.
Zakharova mentioned that there might be one more Russian passport holder among the passengers, adding that “this information is currently being verified.”
This collision marks the deadliest air crash in the U.S. in nearly 25 years.
As of Thursday, officials reported that at least 28 bodies had been recovered from the frigid waters of the Potomac River.
Among the passengers were members of the Skating Club of Boston, returning from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita.
The group included teenage skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane, their mothers, and their two esteemed Russian-born coaches, Shishkova and Naumov, who were champions in pairs skating in 1994.
The crash occurred just before 9 p.m. in one of the most heavily monitored airspaces globally, located about 3 miles (approximately 4.8 kilometers) south of the White House and the Capitol.
Investigations into air crashes can take months, and federal investigators have stated they will not speculate on the cause at this time.
Source: Africanews
