MOSCOW. Dec 26 (Interfax-AVN) - The reports that passengers of the Tupolev Tu-154 airliner were wearing life vests at the time of their death contradict reality, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"All the rumors citing anonymous sources saying that passengers of the Tu-154 jet that crashed were allegedly wearing life vests are shameful insinuations and absolutely inconsistent with reality," the ministry said in a statement that Interfax-AVN received on Monday.
"Since the very first hours after the tragedy, the Russian Defense Ministry, together with other federal agencies and services, has been conveying to the public and reporters comprehensive and objective information about the course of the search operation," the Russian Defense Ministry said in the statement.