Bomb downed plane in Egypt, says Russian security chief

The Russian plane that crashed in Egypt on Oct. 31, killing all 224 passengers and crew, was brought down by a bomb, the Russian security chief said late Monday.

According to Alexander Bortnikov, head of Russia’s Security Service FSB, a bomb downed the plane. 

The plane crashed because of a "terrorist attack", said security chief Bortnikov, according to a statement from the Kremlin after Russian President Vladimir Putin had a meeting with the security chief, the defense minister, the foreign minister regarding the passenger plane that crashed on Oct. 31 in Egypt.   

Putin said that it was not the first time Russia saw "this type of barbaric terrorist attacks" and that Moscow would find the perpetrators and punish them. 

"Our aerial campaign in Syria not only should continue but they should be strengthened enough to make the criminals realize that revenge is inevitable," he said.

Putin also ordered Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to cooperate with other countries for the capture of the perpetrators. 

Meanwhile, Egypt has denied reports that two employees at Sharm Airport have been detained in connection with the plane crash.

The Interior Ministry said in a Tuesday statement that reports about the employees’ detention were “totally groundless”.

The Russian Airbus A321 aircraft crashed on Oct. 31 shortly after taking off from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board.

A Daesh affiliate in Sinai has claimed responsibility for shooting down the plane, linking it to the Russian military intervention in Syria.

Following the crash, several western countries suspended flights to Sharm el-Sheikh, dealing a heavy blow to Egypt’s already-reeling tourism industry.