Russia has seen a string of deadly crashes in recent years. Some have been blamed on the use of aging Soviet-era aircraft. Industry experts also point to a number of other problems, including poor crew training, crumbling airports, lax government controls and widespread neglect of safety in the pursuit of profits.

In April 2012, at least 31 people were killed when a Russian passenger plane crashed shortly after take-off in Siberia.

Fifty people, including 44 passengers and six crew, were killed when a plane crashed on landing in Russia's Kazan, said the Emergency Situations Ministry' s regional bureau.[Xinhua/RIA Novosti]

In Sept. 2011, a Yak-42 passenger jet carrying members of a major league ice hockey team came down shortly after takeoff and burst into flames near the Russian city of Yaroslavl, killing 44 people.

In the Russian city of Perm in 2008, a Boeing 737 exploded just a kilometres above the ground - minutes before landing, killing 88 people.