Kremlin Thursday warned against speculation about what may have caused the incident Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashesAn aviation expert said there was evidence that a Russian anti-missile battery may have brought down the airliner, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
An Embraer 190 aircraft crashed while taking off from Aktau, Kazakhstan. Baku, capital of AzerbaijanTravel to Grozny Chechnya in Russia Wednesday. The plane attempted an emergency landing about 1.8 miles from Aktau but eventually hit the ground, exploded into a fireball and split in half, according to Azerbaijan Airlines.
President Putin’s Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said an investigation into the cause of the crash was ongoing.
“It would be incorrect to make any assumptions before the investigation is concluded, we absolutely cannot do that and no one should do that,” he told a daily news conference.
Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev also warned against establishing a cause while the investigation is in its preliminary stages.
“The police and the prosecutor’s office are conducting forensic examinations,” Bozumbayev said. Tell Kazakh media On Thursday, he added, “So it’s too early to say anything. This is pure hype.”
Putin and Bozubayev’s comments come amid growing speculation that Russian air defense systems may be behind the crash.
“Subsequent reports and background information, including subsequent video inspection of the wreckage … and the security environment in Russia’s southwestern airspace, led the Osprey to assess that the aircraft was likely shot down by Russian air defenses,” aviation safety firm Osprey said. said Matthew Borie, chief intelligence officer at Flight Solutions.
Another possible theory, that the plane collided with one or more birds, could have resulted in more than one explosion being reported and varying amounts of damage to the plane, Borrie said.
wall street journal first reported Discovery of Osprey.
A U.S. official responded on Thursday that there were indications that a Russian air defense system may have struck an Azerbaijan Airlines flight, saying that if that was the case, it would be more evidence Russian recklessness in its war with ukraine.
Borri said that at the time of the incident, Russian air defense forces were defending against an attack by a Ukrainian military-grade weaponized drone, and Russia shot down the drone. He added that at least one drone was hit east of Grozny, while others were shot down over Chechnya.
Earlier, Andrei Kovalenko, director of the Ukrainian Anti-Fake Information Center, stated that Azerbaijan Airlines The plane was “shot down by a Russian air defense system,” citing visible damage to the aircraft.
The flight’s destination was Grozny, close to Ukraine and Ongoing war with Russiabut the flight was diverted to Aktau after an emergency on board, according to a statement issued by Russia’s aviation authority Rosaviatsia on Wednesday.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev Peskov’s caution was echoed. “There are various theories, but I think it’s too early to discuss them. The matter must be thoroughly investigated,” he told a meeting on Wednesday dedicated to the incident.
“The cause of the crash is not yet clear,” he said, adding that Azerbaijan had launched its own investigation.
Aliyev said the plane changed its route due to “deteriorating weather conditions” and “a landing accident occurred” when the plane landed at Aktau Airport.
He declared Thursday a national day of mourning in Azerbaijan.
According to the Kazakh Ministry of Emergency Situations, there were 62 passengers and five crew members on board the flight. Subsequently, the Kazakh Ministry of Health announced the list of 29 survivors, including two children.
At least one airline said it was changing flights in the region in light of the Kazakh plane crash. Israel’s national airline announced on Thursday that it will suspend operations on the Tel Aviv-Moscow route for the coming week and will evaluate when to resume.
