Russia Says Explosives Brought Down Plane in Egypt


17 November, 2015

Russia admits that last month's airplane crash in Egypt was a terrorist attack.

Explosives were found in the wreckage and luggage section of the airplane, said Russia's Federal Security Service chief, Alexander Bortnikov, on Tuesday.

Bortnikov also said the detonated explosive device that brought down the plane was made with 1.5 kilograms of dynamite, or TNT.

In this photo made available Nov. 2, 2015, and provided by Russian Emergency Situations Ministry, Egyptian military forces approach a plane's tail at the wreckage of a passenger jet bound for St. Petersburg in Russia that crashed in Hassana, Egypt.
In this photo made available Nov. 2, 2015, and provided by Russian Emergency Situations Ministry, Egyptian military forces approach a plane's tail at the wreckage of a passenger jet bound for St. Petersburg in Russia that crashed in Hassana, Egypt.

The Metrojet A-321 flight was traveling from Sharm el-Sheikh to St. Petersburg on October 31. It crashed into the Sinai Peninsula desert. All 224 people on board were killed.

Islamic State militants said they carried out the attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to find and punish those responsible for the attack. The Russian security service is offering a $50 million reward for information on who downed the plane in Egypt, the Associated Press reported.

I'm Kelly Jean Kelly.

Jim Dresbach adapted this story for Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

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Words in This Story

luggage – n. the bags and suitcases that a person carries when traveling

dynamite – n. a powerful explosive that is often used in the form of a stick

TNT – n. a very powerful explosive

militants – n. people having or showing a desire or willingness to use strong, extreme and sometimes forceful methods to achieve something

detonate – v. to explode or to cause something to explode