Poland reasserts its demand for the return of the Presidential Tu-154M plane wreckage from Russia
Poland says that Russia has no more reasons to hold on to the wreckage of the Presidential Tu-154M plane that crashed near Smolensk in 2010. According to the Polish press service department, this was stated by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Jacek Czaputowicz during a meeting with Russian Ambassador Sergey Andreyev.
“The head of Polish diplomacy emphasized that Russia has no basis for further retention of the governmental plane wreckage and [the Ambassador] expects it to be returned.” Czaputowicz noted that Poland also expects the Russians to provide free access to the crash site and to assist in building a monument to the victims.
On January 10, the Polish government subcommittee that investigated the circumstances of the presidential plane crash near Smolensk stated once again that an explosion occurred on board the plane.
According to a press secretary of the subcommittee, Marta Palonek, Frank Taylor, an international expert of air accidents stated after inspecting the case materials that the left wing of the plane was destroyed because of an internal explosion.
The Tu-154M plane had crashed near Severny airfield, not far from Smolensk on April 10, 2010. It was carrying Polish President Lech Kaczyński and his delegation, who were heading to the ceremony in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre. All 96 people aboard the plane were killed in the crash.