Smolensk air disaster
 | |
| Date | 10 April 2010 |
|---|---|
| Location | Smolensk, Russia |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Description | A "crash of convenience" as James Corbett termed it. |
The Smolensk air disaster killed all passengers and crew on board.
"Although the disaster killed politicians, military top brass and others from across the political spectrum, it has become a touchstone of PiS’s [Polish Law and Justice party] political identity."[1]
Victims
Among the victims [2] were the president of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, and his wife, Maria; the former president of Poland-in-exile, Ryszard Kaczorowski; the chief of the Polish General Staff and other senior Polish military officers; the president of the National Bank of Poland; Polish government officials; 18 members of the Polish parliament; senior members of the Polish clergy; and relatives of victims of the Katyn massacre.
The group was arriving from Warsaw to attend an event commemorating the 70th anniversary of the massacre, which took place not far from Smolensk.
