The Saratov Airlines jet disappeared from radar minutes after take-off and crashed near the village of Argunovo, which is approximately 50 miles south-east of Moscow. The Antonov An-148 was en route to the city of Orsk in the Ural mountains.
Pieces of debris, wreckage and bodies were found spread over a large area and at least one of the flight data recorders had been found according to officials at the scene.
The cause of the disaster is unclear at this stage and investigators and emergency crews are working at the snow-covered site. The snowy weather, mechanical failure, pilot error as well as other more sinister causes are all being considered at this stage of the investigation.
President Vladimir Putin has expressed his condolences to the victims' families and announced an inquiry into the cause of the crash.
Saratov Airlines comes from, approximately 840km south-east of Moscow and it t was banned from operating international flights in 2015 after a surprise inspection found someone other than the flight crew was in the cockpit.
The airline changed its policy on cockpit visits and appeal the ban before resuming international charter flights during 2016. The airline mainly operates domestic services between Russian cities, however, it has flown to destinations in Armenia and Georgia.
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