OREANDA-NEWS. July 1, 2009. The message reads, in part: “It was with deep sorrow that I learned of the tragic crash of a Yemenia Air plane with French citizens onboard. We in Russia share the pain and bitterness of dozens of French families.

Please pass on words of sympathy and support to friends and relatives of the victims and all of France, both from me personally and the entire Russian people.”

The Airbus A310 with 153 people onboard crashed on June 30, 2009, off the coast of the Comoros islands.