Support The Moscow Times!

Poland Says Crash Probe Incomplete

WARSAW — Russia's report into the plane crash that killed Poland's president is "incomplete" and Warsaw wants further talks with Moscow on the matter, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Thursday.

In its report, Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee put the blame for last year's crash squarely on the Polish pilots and said they had come under psychological pressure to land from Polish officials on board the plane.

Tusk, who faces elections this year, is under pressure from the right-wing main opposition party to reject Russia's report, but he does not want to upset a fragile improvement in economic and other ties with Russia.

"From the Polish point of view … this report is incomplete," Tusk told a news conference. "We will ask the Russian side to hold talks on the final version of the report. … If these talks fail, we may resort to international specialists."

Tusk said he accepted that the Polish side bore the main responsibility for the crash, which killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others.

But Warsaw also argues that Russian ground controllers and the state of infrastructure at the Smolensk airport where the crash occurred may also have contributed to the disaster.

"If I am concerned by anything, it is by the political context of Russia's investigation," said Tusk, apparently implying that Russian officials may have tried to cover up aspects of the investigation. "But there is no alternative to good Polish-Russian relations," Tusk said, his measured tone contrasting with that of some other officials.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the late president's twin brother and leader of the opposition Law and Justice party, branded the Russian report a "joke against Poland" on Wednesday.

Earlier Thursday, the widow of Poland's air force commander Andrzej Blasik, who died in the crash, accused Moscow of slandering her husband's name by saying he had been drinking and may have contributed to the crash.

Ewa Blasik also attacked what she called the Tusk government's "passivity" and its failure to defend the honor of Polish officers.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more