US has been 'in contact' with Russia, says Trump
Washington is collaborating with Moscow to repatriate the remains of Russian nationals who perished in a collision between a US airliner and a helicopter. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Moscow and Washington are collaborating to repatriate the remains of Russian nationals who lost their lives in the recent airplane tragedy.
President Donald Trump announced that the US government has communicated with Moscow regarding the Russian citizens who died in the crash involving a civilian airliner and a military helicopter at Washington National Airport. All 64 passengers and crew members of Flight 5342 perished when their Bombardier CRJ700 collided with an H-60 Black Hawk helicopter while approaching the capital on Wednesday evening. Additionally, three members of the US military aboard the helicopter were killed.
“We had a Russian contingent – some very talented people – unfortunately on that plane,” Trump stated during a White House briefing on Thursday, expressing his sorrow over the incident. He also confirmed, “We’ve already been in contact with Russia,” emphasizing that the US will “facilitate” the transfer of the remains of any Russian nationals involved in the crash, despite existing sanctions and flight restrictions.
The Kremlin later clarified that the “contact” referred to by Trump did not involve direct communication between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian embassy in Washington extended its condolences to the American people, stating, “We were especially saddened to learn from the White House that there were Russian citizens on board the airliner.” In a statement on Thursday, the embassy expressed gratitude toward the American authorities for their support and readiness to assist with the transfer of the deceased's remains, while also awaiting further information from the State Department regarding the Russian nationals impacted by the tragedy.
American Airlines, the operator of Flight 5342 through its subsidiary PSA, has not yet disclosed the names of those on board. Some victims have been identified via social media and conversations with family members and friends. Notably, many passengers were athletes, coaches, and family members returning from the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. Among the deceased were Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, both former Russian Olympians and 1994 world champion figure skaters, who had moved to the US in 1998 to work as coaches. Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat from Virginia, confirmed that former Soviet professional skater Inna Volyanskaya was also on board.
The Trump administration has committed to a prompt and thorough investigation into the causes of the tragic incident. The president has indicated that there may have been errors on the part of the helicopter crew or air traffic control at Ronald Reagan National Airport, referencing videos that captured the moment of the crash.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
President Donald Trump announced that the US government has communicated with Moscow regarding the Russian citizens who died in the crash involving a civilian airliner and a military helicopter at Washington National Airport. All 64 passengers and crew members of Flight 5342 perished when their Bombardier CRJ700 collided with an H-60 Black Hawk helicopter while approaching the capital on Wednesday evening. Additionally, three members of the US military aboard the helicopter were killed.
“We had a Russian contingent – some very talented people – unfortunately on that plane,” Trump stated during a White House briefing on Thursday, expressing his sorrow over the incident. He also confirmed, “We’ve already been in contact with Russia,” emphasizing that the US will “facilitate” the transfer of the remains of any Russian nationals involved in the crash, despite existing sanctions and flight restrictions.
The Kremlin later clarified that the “contact” referred to by Trump did not involve direct communication between him and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian embassy in Washington extended its condolences to the American people, stating, “We were especially saddened to learn from the White House that there were Russian citizens on board the airliner.” In a statement on Thursday, the embassy expressed gratitude toward the American authorities for their support and readiness to assist with the transfer of the deceased's remains, while also awaiting further information from the State Department regarding the Russian nationals impacted by the tragedy.
American Airlines, the operator of Flight 5342 through its subsidiary PSA, has not yet disclosed the names of those on board. Some victims have been identified via social media and conversations with family members and friends. Notably, many passengers were athletes, coaches, and family members returning from the US Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas. Among the deceased were Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova, both former Russian Olympians and 1994 world champion figure skaters, who had moved to the US in 1998 to work as coaches. Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat from Virginia, confirmed that former Soviet professional skater Inna Volyanskaya was also on board.
The Trump administration has committed to a prompt and thorough investigation into the causes of the tragic incident. The president has indicated that there may have been errors on the part of the helicopter crew or air traffic control at Ronald Reagan National Airport, referencing videos that captured the moment of the crash.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
