Russian air defense systems may have caused the crash of an Azerbaijani airliner this week, according to a US official and Azerbaijan’s transportation minister, citing expert analysis and accounts from survivors.
On Friday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby stated, “We have seen some early indications that would certainly point to the possibility that this jet was brought down by Russian air defense systems.” Kirby declined to elaborate further, citing the ongoing investigation.
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transportation, Rashan Nabiyev, said, “Preliminary conclusions by experts point at external impact,” adding that survivor accounts support this theory. “The type of weapon used in the impact will be determined during the probe,” he told Azerbaijani media, according to a report by Associated Press (AP).
The Azerbaijan Airlines flight, traveling from Baku to Grozny, Russia, crashed while attempting to land on Wednesday, killing 38 people and injuring 29. Survivors reported hearing loud noises before the crash. Flight attendant Aydan Rahimli said oxygen masks were deployed after an initial noise, followed by another loud bang.
Crew member Zulfugar Asadov, who was injured, said, “The noises sounded like something hitting the plane from outside.” Other passengers also described hearing explosions mid-air before the crash, reported by AP.
Russian civil aviation officials said the crash occurred amid a Ukrainian drone attack targeting Grozny, prompting airspace closures. Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia’s civil aviation authority, noted that the plane diverted to Kazakhstan but provided no comments on suggestions that Russian air defenses may have hit the aircraft.
Azerbaijan Airlines attributed the crash to “physical and technical interference” but did not specify its source. Following the incident, the airline suspended flights to multiple Russian cities.
If confirmed, this would mark the second fatal aviation incident linked to the Ukraine conflict. In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine by a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing 298 people. A Dutch court later convicted three individuals linked to the attack.
Investigations into the Azerbaijani airliner crash are ongoing, with Azerbaijani and Russian authorities cooperating on the probe.
(with inputs from AP)
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