NOVOSIBIRSK, August 15 (RIA Novosti) - Relations of the passengers of the Russian Sibir airline Tu-154 plane, shot down by an S-300 missile during exercises of the Ukrainian air defense forces over the Black Sea in October 2001 sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This was reported on Sunday by chairman of the fund of assistance to relatives of killed passengers Boris Kalinovsky.
In his words, in their address, the relations of those killed ask the head of state to interfere with the resolution of the problem around payment of compensations on the part of Ukraine.
He recalled that in late 2003, after long talks at the intergovernmental level, Ukraine agreed to pay the relatives of killed passengers from the Russian side over $7 million.
In line with the agreement, the relations will have to sign a legal document, in accordance with which they give up any claims in regard to Ukraine, and these payments are satisfaction of all civil and legal claims in regard to Ukraine.
In the words of the assistance fund chairman, the Ukrainian authorities have notified Russia that the necessary sums of compensation payments have already been allocated. However, because the Russian side has not drafted the document to regulate the procedure and scheme of payments, and because the ministries to deal with it have not been determined yet, the process of money transfer to Russia is delayed, Mr. Kalinovsky said.
"We ask President Putin to interfere with the situation, as we believe that this process is delayed due to technical issues unresolved in officials' rooms," Mr. Kalinovsky said.
All 78 people on board, including the crew, died when the Tel Aviv-Novosibirsk plane crashed. Russian and Israeli citizens were on board. Kiev has paid the relatives of killed Israelis over $7 million as compensation.
