MOSCOW, October 23 (RAPSI) – Relatives of people killed in a TU-154 military plane crash near Sochi in December 2016 will demand in court about $79 million in compensation from insurance companies, according to their attorney Igor Trunov.

An exact sum is yet to be updated, the lawyer told RAPSI on Tuesday. The claims are expected to be lodged with Moscow’s Meshchansky District Court on October 29. Defendants are SOGAZ insurer, Amlin reinsurance holding and the crashed plane’s owner, the Defense Ministry’s 223rd Flight Unit.

The plane, which was carrying out a planned flight to Syria with 8 crew members and 84 passengers on board including journalists, musicians from the famous Alexandrov military ensemble and Elizaveta Glinka, widely known as Doctor Liza, the Fair Aid charity executive director and the inaugural winner of Russia's state prize for achievements in human rights, crashed into the Black Sea on December 25, 2016. The aircraft refueled at Adler’s airport and shortly after disappeared from radars.  No one survived in the crash.

According to investigators, 156 persons have become victims in the case. Results of 356 forensic medical, 1 phonoscopic, 3 explosive and 23 molecular genetic examinations have been received. There are about 100 witnesses in the case, the Investigative Committee said earlier.