A young Jewish woman was among the 224 victims believed to have been killed on board a Russian plane that crashed in Egypt this week.

Anna Tishinskaya, 27, was on the chartered flight travelling from Sharm el-Sheikh, a popular resort destination in the north of Egypt, to St Petersburg in Russia. The plane crashed in the Sinai peninsula on Saturday.

The former St Petersburg State University student, who read history, was the former director of Jewish student organisation Hillel Russia. Organisation leaders mourned the news, describing Ms Tishinskaya as: “part of the family.

“Anya, you were incredibly talented, swift, fearless, sincere, kind and bright.

“You were a truly extraordinary person.”

Ms Tishinskaya was also said to be an active member of her city’s Israeli Culture Centre.

The majority of the crash victims are said to be Russian tourists. No people are believed to have survived the crash.

Islamic militants have claimed responsibility – but experts have said this is unlikely given the altitude the plane was flying before the crash.

Egyptian officials have said the county is working to retrieve the plane’s black box.