An Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft that tragically crashed, resulting in 38 fatalities, was reportedly harmed while traversing Russian airspace “due to ground fire,” as stated by the president of Azerbaijan.
President Ilham Aliyev expressed his belief that the plane, which went down approximately two miles from Aktau in Kazakhstan last Wednesday, was not intentionally shot down.
Nonetheless, he accused certain factions in Russia of attempting to obscure the truth regarding the circumstances of the crash.
The Embraer 190 passenger jet was traveling from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, a city in Russia’s North Caucasus, when it altered its trajectory, moving eastward over the Caspian Sea.
It went down in Kazakhstan during an attempted landing, claiming 38 lives and leaving all 29 survivors injured.
In a discussion with Azerbaijani media, Mr Aliyev reported that the aircraft sustained damage “from an external source” while over Russian territory, attributing the incident to “electronic warfare systems” that caused the plane to become “unmanageable.”
He stated: “Simultaneously, due to gunfire from the ground, the aircraft’s tail was also severely compromised.”
“The presence of numerous holes in the fuselage clearly indicates that the suggestion of the plane colliding with a flock of birds, as proposed by some, is entirely off the table.”
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Video shows holes in crashed plane’s tail
He further remarked: “Regrettably, some elements in Russia have preferred to promote this theory. Another distressing and unexpected aspect for us was that official agencies from Russia proposed theories regarding an explosion of a gas cylinder aboard the plane.
“This clearly illustrates that the Russian side sought to obscure the matter, which, naturally, is inappropriate for anyone.”
He asserted that the aircraft was struck “accidentally” and dismissed the possibility of a “premeditated act of violence.”
However, he admonished Russian officials for their failure to accept accountability.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met at the BRICS summit last month. Pic: Reuters
“Acknowledging the wrongdoing, offering a prompt apology to Azerbaijan, a nation considered friendly, and keeping the public informed were all necessary actions that should have been executed,” he declared.
“Tragically, during the initial three days, we heard nothing from Russia other than some ludicrous theories.”
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Video reveals interior of plane before crash
On Saturday, Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, expressed his regret to Azerbaijan’s leader for what he described as a “tragic occurrence”—yet he refrained from assuming any accountability.
The Kremlin, in a statement issued on Saturday, indicated that air defense systems had been activated near Grozny due to a Ukrainian drone attack, but did not explicitly state that one of them was responsible for the plane crash.
Technicians working at the site of the crash involving an Azerbaijan Airlines plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan. Photo: Reuters
Based on a readout from the Kremlin regarding a phone conversation, the Russian president conveyed his apologies to Mr. Aliyev “for the unfortunate reality that this tragic occurrence took place within Russian airspace.”
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Early reports from the White House suggest the aircraft might have been downed by Russian forces,
Two US military officials informed Sky News’ affiliate network NBC News that American intelligence points to Russia potentially having misidentified the plane as a drone and subsequently downed it.
In the aftermath of the crash, Azerbaijan Airlines attributed the incident to “physical and technical interference” and declared a halt to flights to several Russian airports.
Should it be confirmed that Russian air defenses were responsible for the plane crash, this would mark the second fatal aviation event associated with the Kremlin’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was downed by a Russian missile according to investigations, resulting in the deaths of all 298 individuals on board, in 2014.
