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Siberian Airlines hopeful of settlement over downed airliner

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NOVOSIBIRSK, January 17 (RIA Novosti, Maxim Koshmarchuk) - Siberia Airlines is hopeful of reaching a settlement with Ukraine over a Tu-154 airliner that was accidentally hit by a Ukrainian Air Defense missile over the Black Sea in October 2001, a company spokesman said Tuesday.

"Talks are under way with the Ukrainian government toward resolving the situation through a settlement that will be acceptable both for Siberia Airlines and for Ukraine," Igor Volkov said.

The plane, flying from Tel Aviv in Israel to Novosibirsk in Siberia, was hit over the Black Sea by an S-200 missile during a Ukrainian Air Force training exercise in the Crimea.

All those on board, 66 passengers and 12 crew, were killed. Most of the passengers were Israeli citizens.

Kiev officially admitted accidentally hitting the civilian target only after the remains of the airliner showed ruptures caused by the missile.

Volkov said Siberia Airlines had filed a lawsuit with the Kiev Economic Court in a bid for damages. The defendants in the case are the Ukrainian Defense Ministry and the Treasury.

Hearings in the case have been suspended due to the reopening by the General Prosecutor's Office of the criminal investigation into the case. The investigation had been closed, but was resumed following demands by Siberian Airlines.

The airline is seeking compensation both for the commercial value of the plane and for expenses incurred by search and rescue work after the disaster.

Ukraine paid $7.8 million to families of the Russian victims under an intergovernmental agreement.

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