Russian air defences downed an Azerbaijan Airways airplane that crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 folks, 4 sources with information of the preliminary findings of Azerbaijan’s investigation into the catastrophe informed Reuters on Thursday.
Azerbaijan Airways Flight J2-8243 got here down on Wednesday close to town of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from an space of southern Russia wherein Moscow has used air defence programs towards Ukrainian drone strikes in latest days.
The Embraer EMBR3.SA passenger jet had flown from Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to Grozny, in Russia’s southern Chechnya area, earlier than veering off lots of of miles throughout the Caspian Sea.
It crashed on the other shore of the Caspian after what Russia’s aviation watchdog earlier stated was an emergency that will have been brought on by a hen strike.
Officers didn’t clarify why it had crossed the ocean, however the crash occurred after Ukrainian drone strikes this month hit Chechnya. The closest Russian airport on the airplane’s flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.
One of many Azerbaijani sources aware of the Azerbaijani investigation into the crash informed Reuters that preliminary outcomes confirmed the airplane was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system, and its communications have been paralysed by digital warfare programs on the strategy into Grozny.
The supply stated: “Nobody claims that it was executed on objective. Nevertheless, taking into consideration the established information, Baku expects the Russian aspect to admit to the capturing down of the Azerbaijani plane.”
Three different sources confirmed that the Azeri investigation had come to the identical preliminary conclusion. Russia’s Defence Ministry didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Kazakhstan’s transport prosecutor for the area the place the airplane got here down stated its investigation had not but come to any conclusions in regards to the crash. Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Qanat Bozymbaev stated he might neither affirm nor deny the thesis that Russian air defences downed the airplane.
The Kremlin, requested earlier than the Reuters report about the concept that the plane had been shot at by Russian air defences, stated that an investigation was ongoing and that it will be improper to remark till the inquiry got here to its personal conclusions.
“It’s mistaken to construct hypotheses earlier than the conclusions of the investigation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated.
WRECKAGE
Movies of the crash website posted on social media and verified by Reuters confirmed what seemed to be shrapnel injury to the wreckage of the tail part of the airplane.
Aviation safety agency Osprey Flight Options stated in an alert to airways on Wednesday that footage of the wreckage and the circumstances across the air area in southwest Russia indicated the chance that the airliner was hit by some type of anti-aircraft hearth.
Ukrainian navy drones have repeatedly focused Russia’s southern areas in latest months, triggering Russian air defences. Russia and Ukraine have been at battle since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian Defence Ministry had reported the downing of 59 Ukrainian drones over a number of areas.
Some have been reportedly shot down in closed air area over areas bordering Ukraine, together with the Sea of Azov. Flight operations have been reportedly briefly suspended at Russia’s Kazan Airport because of the exercise.
As well as, publicly accessible ADS-B flight monitoring information reveals that the Azerbaijani plane skilled GPS jamming all through its flight over southwest Russia, the alert stated.
In Brussels, NATO referred to as for a full investigation into the reason for the crash.
“Our ideas and prayers are with the households and victims of Azerbaijan Airways flight J2-8243,” NATO spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah stated on X.
“We want these injured within the crash a speedy restoration and name for a full investigation.”
