It is a bleak Christmas for Russia as a military plane that took off from Moscow crashed into the Black Sea.
According to Russia’s defence ministry, the aircraft with 92 people on board, disappeared from radar 20 minutes after taking off from the resort of Sochi at 02:20 GMT.
A military spokesperson confirmed that fragments of the Tu-154 plane have been found one mile from the Black Sea coast of the city of Sochi.
So far, no survivors have been found.
The plane, which was said to be carrying 64 members of the famed Alexandrov military band, nine reporters and eight crew members among others, was flying to the Syrian province of Latakia.
The flight had landed at Adler airport in Sochi for refuelling.