MOSCOW, Aug 27 (AFP) - The Russian authorities found a series of security faults earlier this year at Moscow's Domodedovo airport, the departure point for the two Russian planes that crashed this week, Transport Minister Igor Levitin said on Friday.
"The federal (surveillance) service found a series of faults at the airport on May 25 relating to respect for the rules on passenger security and cargo loading," the minister was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
According to Levitin, who is head of the commission charged with investigating this week's crashes, "matters relating to security are more to do with airports than with airlines".
Russian officials said on Friday that "terrorists" were behind one of the passenger jet crashes, which together claimed 89 lives. They said traces of Hexogen, a powerful explosive, had been found in the wreckage of the plane.
An Islamic group proclaiming support for separatist rebels in Chechnya meanwhile claimed responsibility for the downing of both planes on Tuesday.
The plane that officials said was brought down by "terrorists" was flying from Moscow to the Black Sea resort of Sochi with 46 passengers and crew aboard when it crashed near the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.
At almost the same moment, a second plane carrying 43 people to the southern city of Volgograd crashed outside the city of Tula, some 180 kilometres (110 miles) south of Moscow.
On Friday, Sibir airline, which operated the Tupolev 154 bound for Sochi, announced that it would in future only deliver tickets to passengers who could produce a valid passport.