Kremlin Spokesman Denies Investigators Dragging Feet on A321 Plane Crash

The Kremlin regards speculations that the probe into the Airbus A321 crash in Egypt is taking too much time, as "inappropriate," Russia’s presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Peskov refused to give a date for the probe’s conclusion, adding that investigators would not make public announcements until the inquiry is completed.

"It [the inquiry] is not slow-paced at all," Peskov said. "Investigations into such terror acts can take quite a lot of time, but calling it a lengthy one is inappropriate."

On October 31, a plane operated by the Russian Kogalymavia airline crashed in the Sinai Peninsula en route from the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg, killing all 224 people on board. The tragedy is the largest civil aviation disaster in Russian history.

Shortly after the crash, Moscow and Cairo reached an understanding on an investigation, and an international Egypt-led probe was launched. The investigative committee comprises Egypt, Russia and France, assisted by Ireland and Germany.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin requested that the country’s Foreign Ministry ask all international partners for assistance in the investigation of the crash, after Russia’s Federal Security Service confirmed that the tragedy was an act of terrorism.