Sinai plane crash: Russian and Egyptian authorities claim 'speculation' over cause of crash harming investigation

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said there was a 'significant possiblity' Isis were responsible for the plane's crash

Russian emergency services personnel working at the crash site of the A321 airliner (AFP/Getty)

Russian and Egyptian officials have criticised British and US authorities' comments over the possible causes of the Airbus A321 crash in the Sinai Peninsula.

British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond conceded there was a “significant possibility” Isis was responsible for the plane’s crash, which resulted in the death of 217 passengers and seven crew members.

But the Kremlin urged caution on “speculation” over the possible causes of the crash.

Russian cannot rule out a single theory

&#13; <p>Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's spokesperson</p>&#13;

Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected Mr Hammond’s comment, and said Russia "cannot rule out a single theory" about the cause of the crash.

The country’s national daily newspapers have also strongly criticising British statements so far.

“While experts are working at the air crash site in Egypt and trying to establish the causes of the tragedy, in London they already know everything ahead of time,” a news article published by national paper Komsomolskaya Pravda Thursday claimed.

Rossiyskaya Gazeta, one of the Russian government’s official newspapers, quoted a source claiming premature speculation was negatively affecting the investigation into the crash.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s foreign minister Sameh Shoukry said he was “somewhat surprised” by the UK’s decision to delay flights to and from Sharm el-Sheikh in the wake of more information.

“I think it is somewhat premature to make declarations related to what might or might not have happened to the aircraft before the investigation is completed and before there is a definitive cause for this crash," he told CNN.

When asked about the decision – and Mr Shoukry’s reaction – Mr Hammond responded: “with respect to him, he hasn't seen all the information that we have."

Earlier, Egyptian authorities had dismissed Isis’s claim to have brought down the aeroplane, 23 minutes after it departed from Sharm el-Sheikh en route to St Petersburg.

Both US and UK authorities have said there is information to suggest the plane was targeted by an explosive device. "A bomb is a highly possible scenario," a US official told AFP.

However, authorities have said they are yet to reach a formal conclusion over the crash.