by Monica Poling
Last updated: 12:20 AM ET, Mon February 12, 2018
A commercial Russian aircraft carrying 65 passengers and six crew has crashed near Moscow, Russia, killing everyone on board.
The flight, operated by regional carrier Saratov Airlines, on an Antonov An-148, departed from Domodedovo Airport in Moscow at 2:24 p.m. local time and was bound for Orsk, about 1000 miles away. Just four minutes after the departure, the flight's signal disappeared from radar.
Flight tracking website tweeted that the flight descended from 6,200 feet to 3,200 feet in the minute before the signal was lost.
According to Russian News Agency Tass, Russian Minister of Transport Maxim Sokolov has said that local agencies will need to conduct genetic testing to identify at least some of the victims.
"As, judging by everything, no one has survived this crash, because of the quality of biomaterials genetic studies will be needed," said Sokolov. "We will have to take biomaterials from the relatives."
In a tweet, Russia's Emergencies Ministry said it would require 150 people and 20 emergency vehicles to conduct recovery efforts.
Tass is also reporting that a criminal case is being opened on charges of flight safety and aircraft operations violations.
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