OREANDA-NEWS. July 06, 2007. Due to recent statements by various people regarding the compensation for damages caused by the wreck of the Tu-154M aircraft, side number RA-85185, owned by the Federal State Unitary Aviation Enterprise Pulkovo, that crashed near Donetsk on 22 August 2006, OJSC SOGAZ believes it necessary to provide information on the case and make the following statement, reported the press-centre of  SOGAZ.

OJSC SOGAZ signed contracts for hull insurance and legal liability insurance of the carrier Federal State Unitary Aviation Enterprise Pulkovo. These voluntary contracts were signed on the basis of the license for insurance services issued by the Federal Service for Insurance Monitoring and are not to be deemed obligatory insurance contracts. The contracts were signed with Federal State Unitary Aviation Enterprise Pulkovo (current legal successor – Federal State Unitary Enterprise State Transportation Company Rossiya (STC Rossiya)).

The insurance provided by SOGAZ covers only property risks of the Federal State Unitary Aviation Enterprise Pulkovo. No insurance contracts were signed with OJSC SOGAZ that cover the lives and health of the passengers of the Tu-154M aircraft, side number RA-85185, and consequently the company cannot have obligations under non-existent contracts.

OJSC SOGAZ has effected payment in full of insurance cover for the aircraft. The compensation for property damage inflicted on the Federal State Unitary Enterprise STC Rossiya (legal successor of the Federal State Unitary Aviation Enterprise Pulkovo) amounted to the equivalent of 2,500,00 US dollars.

At present, under the carrier’s liability insurance contract and following the request for the payment of insurance compensation made by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise STC Rossiya, OJSC SOGAZ is effecting corresponding payments to the Federal State Unitary Enterprise STC Rossiya. The amount of the liability of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise STC Rossiya (legal successor of the Federal State Unitary Aviation Enterprise Pulkovo) for damages inflicted on the families of those killed in the air crash is being established by the Moscow District Court of St. Petersburg.

The passengers of the Tu-154M aircraft, side number RA-85185, were not insured by OJSC SOGAZ. No family members of the people killed in the accident ever claimed insurance compensation from OJSC SOGAZ, so we refused such payment to no one. Thus, the claim by a group of persons demanding an insurance compensation payment filed with Nikulinsky Court of the City of Moscow is based solely on the subjective opinion of certain persons as regards the obligations of OJSC SOGAZ and has no legal grounds. OJSC SOGAZ believes that exploitation of people’s death is inadmissible and suggests that all disputes be resolved in accordance with current legislation.

At the same time, OJSC SOGAZ sees frequent public statements made by persons who are not in any way related to the case or to the families of the victims as an attempt to damage the company’s reputation. We believe that such actions must be treated in accordance with current legislation and we reserve the right to seek assistance of the law enforcement bodies in dealing with these situations.