US: Russian Plane May Have Been Hit by Missile
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Russian plane that crashed into the Black Sea with more than 70 people on board may have been hit by a surface-to-air missile, U.S. officials said on Thursday.
The plane could have been a victim of a tragic accident rather than of an act of terror, said the officials, who asked to remain unidentified.
``It could well have been a training accident, it could have been the Ukrainian military conducting a live-fire test. It could be a tragic accident,'' one official said.
Initial reports from the Pentagon were that there may have been a launch of a surface-to-air missile or missiles from the Crimea that may have brought the plane down, the officials said.
``It's still very early and we should not rush to any conclusions,'' one official said.
