An Azerbaijani minister suggested on Friday that the plane that crashed this week was hit by a missile, citing expert analysis and testimony from survivors that indicated the plane was struck externally. had gone
Rashad Nabiyev's statement increased the pressure on Russia. Officials in Moscow have said a drone strike was underway in the region where an Azerbaijan Airlines flight was intended, but have ignored statements by aviation experts who responded to the attack by Ukraine. Russian air defense has been blamed for the accident.
The plane was flying from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, the regional capital of the Russian Republic of Chechnya, on Wednesday when it diverted to Kazakhstan and crashed while trying to land there. 38 people died and all 29 were injured in the accident.
Azerbaijan's Minister of Digital Development and Transport Nabiyev told Azerbaijani media that “preliminary findings of experts point to external influences,” as witnessed by witnesses.
“The type of weapon used in the attack will be determined during the investigation,” Nabiyev said.
Passengers and crew who survived the crash told Azerbaijani media that they heard loud noises as the plane circled over Grozny.
Flight attendant Aidan Rahimli said that after a noise, the oxygen masks were released automatically. She said she went to give first aid to a colleague, Zulfiger Asadov, and then heard another explosion.
Asadov said the noise sounded like someone crashing into the plane from outside. He denied claims by Kazakh officials that an oxygen canister exploded inside the plane.
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Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, said on Friday that as the plane was preparing to land in Grozny in thick fog, Ukrainian drones were targeting the city, prompting authorities to close the area to air traffic. was closed.
After two failed landing attempts by the captain, he was offered other airports but decided to fly across the Caspian Sea to Aktau, Kazakhstan, Yadrov said.
But he did not comment on statements by some aviation experts, who pointed out that holes visible in the plane's tail indicated it could have been hit by Russian air defense systems.
Ukrainian drones have previously attacked Grozny and other regions in the country's North Caucasus.
Azerbaijan Airlines blamed an unspecified “physical and technical interference” for the crash and announced the suspension of flights at several Russian airports. He did not say where the interception took place or provide further details.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on claims that the plane had hit a Russian air defense system, saying it was up to investigators to determine the cause of the crash.
“The air incident is being investigated, and we don't believe we have the right to make any assumptions until the investigation results,” Peskov said in a conference call with reporters.
If it is confirmed that the plane crashed after hitting Russian air defenses, it would be the second fatal civilian aviation accident linked to the fighting in Ukraine. Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing all 298 people on board, as it flew over eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists in 2014. flew on
Russia has denied responsibility, but a Dutch court convicted two Russians and a pro-Russian Ukrainian man in 2022 for their role in the downing of the plane by an air defense system brought from a Russian military base into Ukraine. was
Azerbaijani investigators are working in Grozny as part of an investigation into Wednesday's crash, Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office said in a statement.
After suspending flights from Baku to Gruzi and Makhachkala on Wednesday, Azerbaijan Airlines announced on Friday that it would also suspend service to eight more Russian cities.
The company will continue to fly to six Russian cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. These cities have been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks in the past.
Kazakh Air also announced on Friday that it was suspending flights from Astana in the Ural Mountains to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg for a month.
Fly Dubai has also suspended flights to Sochi and Mineralnye Vody in southern Russia for the next few days.
A day earlier, Israel's El Al carrier suspended flights from Tel Aviv to Moscow, citing “developments in Russian airspace.” The airline said it would reassess the situation next week.
and copy 2024 Canadian Press