A Russian passenger jet en route from a Black Sea resort to St. Petersburg has crashed in the Ukraine. 160 passengers and 10 crew were aboard. A distress call was sent immediately before the crash. There are no details yet as to what happened.
The Pulkovo airlines Tupolev 154, en route from the Russian Black Sea resort of Anapa to St. Petersburg, disappeared from radar screens over Ukraine, Emergency Situations Ministry spokeswoman Yulia Stadnikova said.
Minutes later, the ministry said wreckage from the plane was found on the ground.
RIA-Novosti news agency reported that the wreckage was found near the Ukrainian city of Donetsk and said rescuers were at the site.
According the latest official press release by the company it was a lighting strike that cause the catastrophe.