The coffins holding the bodies of Poland's President Lech Kaczynski and his wife were today flown from Warsaw to Krakow for burial in that city's historic cathedral.
The couple, who died with 94 others in a plane crash in Russia on April 10, were driven slowly through Warsaw for the last time. The bodies were then delivered to Krakow by a military transport plane, which flew below the volcanic ash plume now paralyzing air travel in Europe.
Many world leaders are being forced to miss Kaczynski's funeral because of the ash cloud. U.S. President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Britain's Prince Charles, and Turkish President Abdullah Gul are among leaders who have announced they will not be able to attend.
Meanwhile, in Kyiv, President Viktor Yanukovych's office confirmed that the Ukrainian president was attending the ceremony. Yanukovych was one of the first people to fly out of Kyiv's Borispol airport, which had been closed since April 17 because of the volcanic cloud.
Citing airport officials in Krakow, AFP reports that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has also landed in the city to attend the burial.
compiled from agency reports
The couple, who died with 94 others in a plane crash in Russia on April 10, were driven slowly through Warsaw for the last time. The bodies were then delivered to Krakow by a military transport plane, which flew below the volcanic ash plume now paralyzing air travel in Europe.
Many world leaders are being forced to miss Kaczynski's funeral because of the ash cloud. U.S. President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Britain's Prince Charles, and Turkish President Abdullah Gul are among leaders who have announced they will not be able to attend.
Meanwhile, in Kyiv, President Viktor Yanukovych's office confirmed that the Ukrainian president was attending the ceremony. Yanukovych was one of the first people to fly out of Kyiv's Borispol airport, which had been closed since April 17 because of the volcanic cloud.
Citing airport officials in Krakow, AFP reports that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has also landed in the city to attend the burial.
compiled from agency reports