KUALA LUMPUR — The Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, killing 38 people on board, was downed by Russian air defences, Reuters reports.
The news wire cited four sources, one of whom said “preliminary results showed the plane was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system”.
The source said “no one” was claiming that this was done on purpose.
An Azerbaijan news website, Caliber, has also reported that the plane was damaged by Russian air defence system.
Caliber, which the Bloomberg news wire said was n Azerbaijan government-backed news website, said the plane was struck while approaching Grozny, Chenchnya.
As a result of the use of electronic warfare systems by the Russians, the aircraft’s communication system was paralysed, Caliber said.
The Azerbaijan government sources since Thursday have told media that the plane crash was caused by a Russian missile system.
Kazakhstan, which is overseeing the forensic investigation of the crash, has said there is no conclusive evidence as the probe is ongoing.
Both Azerbaijan and Russian authorities are barred from participating in the forensic investigation, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev said, according to Bernama-Anadolu Agency.
They will, however, be allowed to participate in the investigation of the crash.
Bozumbayev also said Kazakhstan had yet to receive official versions of the crash incident from either Azerbaijan or Russia.
“Journalistic guesses and research are based on some government sources. We are in constant contact with colleagues from Azerbaijan. No one has told us any versions yet, officially we have not received any version from either Russia or Azerbaijan.
“Therefore, it is impossible to refute any version,” he said.
Flight J2-8243, an Embraer passenger jet, was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members from Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, to Grozny.
It changed course to make an emergency landing in Kazakhstan, for reasons yet unknown, before crashing about three kilometres from Aktau, Kazakhstan.
The change in course came as it flew above an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used air defence systems against Ukrainian drone strikes, media have reported.
There is yet to be an official explanation for the change of course.
38 bodies were recovered at the crash site, while the remainder who survived are in hospital.
As of today, two flight recorders have been found and will be handed over to Kazakhstan’s Aviation Accidents and Incidents investigation Division, Bernama-Anadolu also reported.
Bloomberg noted that if sources’ accounts are true that the Azerbaijan Airline crash was the result of a Russian air defence system, it would bear similarities to the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine in 2014 that killed all 298 people on board. – December 27, 2024
