NYT: US officials rule out Russian involvement in Vilnius plane crash

A DHL cargo plane crashed in Vilnius on November 25 morning, but the company has stated that it has no information suggesting any suspicious cargo was aboard.

The Boeing 737, which was owned by Spanish airline Swift Air, was being used to transport DHL packages and was en route from Leipzig, Germany, when it crashed during its approach to Vilnius airport. One crew member was killed in the incident.

Lithuanian officials have found no evidence to suggest the crash is connected to recent sabotage activities in Central and Eastern Europe, which some Western countries have linked to Russia.

US officials, speaking anonymously due to the sensitive nature of the matter, indicated to The New York Times that the crash appears to have been an accident, and they do not believe it involves Russian involvement at this time, per Caliber.Az.

The US government has officially stated that it is assisting Lithuanian authorities in their investigation. John Kirby, Strategic Communications Coordinator for the White House National Security Council, and Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas have both indicated that there is currently no indication of sabotage or terrorism related to the crash.

“At this point, we have no evidence to suggest anything suspicious that would lead us to believe this was anything other than an accident,” said Aushra Rutkauskienė, DHL Lietuva’s sales and marketing director. 

"While the investigation continues, we are not commenting further and do not want to speculate at this stage," she added.

Rutkauskienė also confirmed that DHL is in direct communication with each customer whose parcels were on the plane.

“We are working with the insurance company and will address compensation matters with each customer individually,” she added.

By Tamilla Hasanova