What the controller said...
Translation (excerpt) of the interview between a Russian journalist and the controller Pavel Pliusnin (sorry for the graphic layout, but html was not cooperating with word settings..):
Controller- They were suggested to fly to an emergency airport. They refused.
Journalist- It was you who suggested them?
C- Yes
J- For what reason?
C- Because I saw that the weather was getting worse..
J- And what was the answer?
C- The answer was: "I have enough fuel, I'll do one passage and I'll fly to the emergency airport, if I don't land.”
J-We received the information, that the pilot was suggested to land in other cities.
C-I suggested him this too.
J-And why did he refuse to do so?
C-He would have had to ask about that.
J-(...)And what were your further actions?
C- (...) . I can't tell you more.
J-(and then) what did they say?
C-For any kind of instruction I gave, at the beginning they gave me information, then they stopped giving any kind of information. ..
J-They stopped listening to your instructions?
C-They had to give a kvitanzia (receipt), but they didn't.
J-What kind of kvitanzia (receipt)??
C-Data about the height on attempt to land.
J-They even didn't give you information about the height of the airplane?
C-Yes, they didn't.
(...) J-And why didn't they give you this 'kvitanzia' (receipt)??
C-How the heck can I know? Because they spoke a bad Russian.
J-And then he went ahead with that landing, that you forbade him??
C-I cannot forbid, I recommended him, that he didn't try it!
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On the Russian aviation forum people are insisting on the fact that the controller had to close the aerodrom (which would have been a very difficult decision to take, considering diplomatic issues involved!!). I guess the (btw - military) controller probably asked a superior on what to do...