Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Friday to suspend air traffic with Egypt on the advice of the head of the Federal Security Service, his spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Interfax news agency.
“Putin has instructed the government to work out a way to implement the recommendations and secure the repatriation of Russian citizens,” Peskov was cited as saying Friday.
The announcement follows an earlier statement by the head of Russia's Federal Security Service, Alexander Bortnikov, following a meeting with the National Anti-Terrorism Committee in which he advised Russia to suspend all flights to Egypt until further information became known on the causes of the Sinai plane crash, the report said.
The St. Petersburg-bound Airbus A321 crashed on Saturday in Egypt's Sinai peninsula shortly after taking off from the Sharm el-Sheikh resort, killing 224 people, in Russia's largest ever air disaster.
The advice and subsequent order from Putin seemed to mark a change in the Kremlin’s policy, after Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev insisted it was too early to draw any conclusions on what caused the crash at a government meeting on Thursday.
But Peskov said the flight ban did not signify any such U-turn and denied it was evidence the Kremlin considered the crash to have been caused by a terrorist attack, a separate Interfax news agency reported.
“As previously, no theory [on the causes of the crash] can dominate, because there isn't any clear convincing evidence pointing towards this one version [of a terrorist attack,]” he was cited as telling journalists on Friday following the announcement.
Head of Russia's federal tourism agency Rosturism Oleg Safonov said there were around 45,000 Russian tourists in Egypt — most of whom were vacationing in the beach resort of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, the TASS news agency reported.
Britain earlier this week banned all non-essential flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, saying the crash had likely been caused by an explosive device on board the aircraft. U.S. President Barack Obama on Thursday also said Washington was taking the theory of a terrorist attack having caused the crash “very seriously.”
Contact the author at e.hartog@imedia.ru
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.
Remind me later.
