MOSCOW. Sept 15 (Interfax-AVN) - The state commission investigating the circumstances surrounding the two August 24 plane crashes has come to a conclusion that "the disintegration of [the Tu-154 and the Tu-134 planes] during the flight resulted from an impact caused by explosive charges in the passenger sections," Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin told journalists.
The conclusions were announced at the commission's session on Wednesday.
The Prosecutor General's Office has opened a criminal case on terrorism charges, said Levitin, who also heads the state commission. This case will be handled by the prosecutor office's department for investigating high-profile cases, he said.