CHERNOVTSY, Ukraine. Oct 11 (Interfax-AVN) - Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma announced that he has not accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Oleksandr Kuzmuk following the TU-154 crash into the Black Sea.
Kuzmuk submitted his resignation statement immediately, Kuchma said at a press conference in Chernovtsy on Thursday.
"Being the President and the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, I have not let valuable people go and I won't do that in future," Kuchma said.
"If the culpability of the launching crew is confirmed, I say conditionally, that will be a different matter. Somebody will have to bear responsibility," Kuchma said.
He said he was waiting for the conclusion of experts and "neglecting press reports about things heard from somewhere."
The final say belongs to specialists, Kuchma said. "I still have questions," he added.
The president said he had joked when flying to Chernovtsy that "the missile of the Ukrainian Armed Forces does not understand the Ukrainian language." "Let our ballistics specialists study this and say the word," Kuchma uttered.