Russia, Ukraine OK Jet Victims Payment
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 26, 2003
Filed at 11:29 a.m. ET
MOSCOW (AP) -- Ukraine and Russia agreed Friday on a compensation package for Russian relatives of 78 people killed in the downing of a passenger jet by a stray Ukrainian missile.
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and his Ukrainian counterpart, Kostyantyn Gryshchenko, signed the deal in Moscow, the Interfax news agency reported.
It did not say how much the compensation would be, but Russia's prime minister said it would be in line with the $200,000 per victim that Ukraine agreed to pay Israeli relatives.
The Sibir Airlines Tu-154 jet was bound from Israel to Russia when it crashed into the Black Sea on Oct. 4, 2001, after being hit by a S-200 missile fired during a Ukrainian military exercise. Most of the 78 victims were recent Russian immigrants to Israel.
Last month, Ukraine reached a deal with Israel that provides about $200,000 in compensation to each of the 101 relatives of the 40 Israeli dead.
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov said Thursday the compensation for Russian relatives would be comparable to that paid to the Israelis.