Polish president Lech Kaczynski was among 87 people killed when a plane crashed in dense fog in southwestern Russian region of Smolensk today.
The Tu-154 presidential plane crashed about 300 metres from the runway after hitting tree tops in dense fog, Russia's Emergencies Ministry said.
According to Rossiya 24 TV, there were 87 people on board; all of them died in the crash.
In Warsaw, foreign ministry spokesman Petr Paszkowski said that Polish president Kaczynski was on board the ill-fated Tu-154 aircraft.
Kaczynski was flying with a delegation to take part in the Katyn memorial ceremonies at the site where Polish military officers were executed on the orders of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin during the Second World War.
President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered emergency situations minister Sergei Shoigu to Russia to the Smolensk region to personally supervise rescue work, according to reports.
He also directed prime minister Vladimir Putin to lead the probe. And while it seems to have been (Polish) pilot error and obstinance -as he was advised by the Russians to land elsewhere due to the fog- I would like to see someone a bit more independent look at it- the Kaczynski brothers were no friends of Russia, and he was on his way to a ceremony on Russian soil that exposes Stalin's crimes... the same monstrous Uncle Joe Putin is now in the process of beautifying...
Lech Kaczynski was a good man, good Catholic... and a good friend of the United States- God Bless his soul.
Amusing Bunni's Musings has video from Russia and a fitting tribute -here-