On Nov 17th 2015 the website of Russia's President issued a summary of a meeting conducted on Nov 16th 2015, during which the director of Russia's Federal Security Service stated: "Mr President, we have studied the passengers’ personal belongings and luggage and fragments of the plane that crashed in Egypt on October 31. An expert examination of all these objects has found traces of foreign-made explosives. According to our experts, a self-made explosive device equivalent up to 1 kg of TNT was set off on board, which explains why the fragments of the aircraft were scattered over a large area. We can say with confidence that this was a terrorist act." The website continues quoting the President: "We will act in compliance with Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which envisages the right of a state to self-defence. Whoever tries to help the perpetrators ought to know that they would bear full responsibility for any attempts to harbour them. I would like all our special services to focus on this work.
da AvHerald