The state commission to investigate causes of Polish Tu-154 plane crash near Smolensk on April 10, 2010, which claimed the lives of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife and Poland's top political and military officials, was established in accordance with the Executive Order No. 225-rp signed by President Dmitry Medvedev on April 10, 2010. The commission was headed by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, with its line-up approved by the government's Executive Order No. 516-r of April 10, 2010.
Emergency relief measures following the crash and other necessary operations involved the resources and personnel of the Ministry of Civil Defence, Emergencies and Disaster Relief, Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Regional Development, as well as the Smolensk Region's administration, with a total of 2,000 people taking part in the effort.
The state commission collected all the factual materials and comprehensive data required for further expertise and investigation, recovered fragments of the plane and placed them in a special protected area for further examination when required, and identified crash victims.
The investigation was performed by the Interstate Aviation Committee technical commission as an independent international body, in accordance with the provisions stated in Supplement 13 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation and in concurrence with the Polish side. The state commission provided all necessary assistance upon request of the technical commission.
Due to the completion of the work of the Interstate Aviation Committee technical commission and the implementation of the measures envisaged by the state commission to investigate causes of Polish Tu-154 plane crash near Smolensk on April 10, 2010, which claimed the lives of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife and Poland's top political and military officials, the Russian government has issued an executive order to consider the commission's work finalised, as advised by Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov.
All the available materials have been transferred by the state commission to Russia's Investigation Committee, which will conduct further criminal investigation together with the Polish side.