The 2010 Smolensk presidential plane crash should not be used for political gain, Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that the plane wreck cannot be handed over to Poland.

Journalists try to attract Russian President Vladimir Putin's attention to their question during Putin's annual press conference in International Trade Center in Moscow, Russia. Photo: EPA/YURI KOCHETKOV

At an annual conference summing up the year, Putin said that Russian investigators still need the wreckage of the Polish presidential plane, Polish public broadcaster TVP has said.

The plane crashed while attempting to land in fog in Smolensk, western Russia, killing all 96 on board, including Polish President Lech Kaczyński.

Putin called the disaster “a tragedy”, and added that Russia had “done everything” to determine its causes.

Despite requests by Polish authorities, the wreckage of the plane and its black boxes have not been handed over to Poland.

Meanwhile, Poland's governing Law and Justice (PiS) party has launched its own investigation into the disaster.

PiS has long challenged an official report into the crash issued by the previous Polish government which cited a catalogue of errors on the Polish side, while also pointing to errors made by Russian staff at the control tower of Smolensk Military Airport.

A Russian report placed all the blame on the Poles.

(vb/rg)

Source: TVP Info