Azerbaijan Airlines reported this Friday that, according to preliminary datathe plane crash on December 25 near the Aktau airport in Kazakhstan was caused by “an external physical and technical interference”, amid speculation from Ukraine about Russia’s responsibility. Four sources familiar with the preliminary conclusions of the investigation into the disaster told Reuters on Thursday that Russian air defenses had shot it down by mistake.
The airline has explained that taking into account the “risks” that exist, it has decided suspend flights starting this Saturday until the accident investigation is completed departing from Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, with destinations to the Russian airports of Mineralnie Vodi, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara.
On Christmas Day, a plane Embraer 190 model of Azerbaijan Airlines that covered the Baku-Grozny route crashed three kilometers from the airport in the Kazakh city of Aktau, leaving 38 dead and 29 injured, most of them seriously.
Due to thick fog in Grozny, it was diverted to Makhachkala, Russian Dagestan, and then to Aktau. During the route change, the crew sounded the emergency signal due to events that are still unknown, Although it has been speculated that a flock of birds damaged one of the engines, or an oxygen tank in the cockpit exploded, causing the pilots to lose control.
However, from kyiv they have insisted that the plane would have been hit by Russian air defenses, at a time when the drone attacks by Ukrainian forces over Chechnyawhich has Grozny as its capital.
The head of the Ukrainian presidential office, Andri Yermak, urged the international community this Friday to consider Russia “responsible” for “the downing” of the plane. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has once again indicated that it will not make any statements on the matter until the ongoing investigation is completed.
“No evaluations” by Russia
«An investigation is being carried out and until there are conclusions, We do not consider ourselves entitled to give any feedback and we will not do so.», said the Kremlin spokesman, Dimitri Peskov, when asked about the words of a deputy from Azerbaijan who has demanded that Russia apologize.
For his part, the head of the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency, Dimitri Yadrov, pointed out that the situation that day around the Grozny airport “was very difficult”, with a “dense fog” and Ukrainian combat drones flying over the Chechen capital, or cities like Vladikavkaz.
“The plane commander tried twice to land in Grozny, but was unsuccessful (…) he was offered other airports,” but “he chose Aktau. There are many different circumstances that must be investigated together» said Yadrov, who has highlighted Russia’s «total and broad willingness» to cooperate.
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