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Russian military outraged by French satirical magazine

Dec 29, 2016 | 2:00 AM

MOSCOW — The Russian military is condemning cartoons about the Russian military plane crash published by French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Russian Defence Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov described the cartoons as “excrements,” saying in Thursday’s statement that “it is humiliating for a normal person even to pay attention to this laboured filth.”

Sunday’s crash of a Syria-bound Russian plane killed all 92 people on board. It was carrying members of the world-famous Russian army choir to a New Year’s concert at a Russian military base in Syria.

One of Charlie Hebdo’s cartoons depicts a singer in the falling aircraft wailing ‘aaaa’ with inscription: “The repertoire of the Red Army Choir is expanding,” while another voices sardonic regret that Russian President Vladimir Putin wasn’t inside.