Russia will allow Polish investigators to examine the debris from 2010 Smolensk plane crash

cde.news desk 8 May 2019, 22:51 · 1 min read

epa06658363 Flowers and wreaths are placed at the sarcophagus of the presidential couple Lech Kaczynski and Maria Kaczynska in the crypt under the Tower of Silver Bells beneath the Wawel Cathedral in Krakow, Poland, 10 April 2018. Poland's President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria Kaczynska and 94 others died on 10 April 2010 when Polish plane crashed in Smolensk, Russia. EPA-EFE/JACEK BEDNARCZYK POLAND OUT

Russia said it would allow Polish investigators to examine the wreckage of a Polish plane that crashed in 2010, an incident that killed Poland’s then-President Lech Kaczynski and 95 other people.

In a statement, the Investigative Committee said it was granting access to the Polish officials at the end of May in response to a request from Warsaw.

In recent years, the crash has become a rancorous political issue in Poland, which has pit liberals against conservative supporters of Kaczynski, whose twin brother, Jaroslaw, now heads the ruling Law and Justice party.

In 2011, an investigation by Poland’s government blamed the crash on errors by Polish pilots, poor guidance by Russian controllers in dense fog, and very poor visibility at the rudimentary military airport.

Via RFE/RL

Topics Poland Russia Smolensk