A passenger plane taxying onto the runway at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo airport ran down a man, who died instantly, Anna Zakharenkova, the airport’s PR director, told TASS on Tuesday.

"When the passenger plane bound for Athens was taxying onto the runway, the crew reported a collision with an unidentified object. The incident occurred at 20:10 Moscow time," she said. "A human body was found, with clothes and personal belongings scattered around."

The man has been identified. Police have been informed about the incident, she added.