On December 25, 2024, emergency rescue experts worked at the scene of the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near the western Kazakh city of Aktau. It was heading to the city of Grozny in Chechnya in southern Russia, but veered off course and flew over the Caspian Sea. It crashed on December 25, 2024, near the Kazakh city of Aktau.
Issa Tarebayev | AFP | Getty Images
Investigation into fatal incident Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashes The airline said on Friday that the airliner experienced “physical and technical external disturbances” in Kazakhstan earlier this week.
On Wednesday, Embraer 190 crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. Baku, capital of Azerbaijanheading to the capital Grozny Russian Chechnya.
Early evidence suggests the plane may have been hit by a Russian air defense system, according to a U.S. official.
“The aircraft was most likely shot down by a Russian air defense system,” Matthew Borie, chief intelligence officer for aviation security company Osprey Flight Solutions, told NBC News on Thursday.
He said that when the incident occurred, Russian air defense forces were defending against an attack by a Ukrainian military-grade weaponized drone, and Russia shot down the drone.
Although Russian officials have Warning against speculation Regarding what led to the crash, the country’s aviation authority said on Friday that the situation around Grozny, Chechnya, was “very complex” when the plane was diverted to Kazakhstan and crashed.
Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia said there were “Ukrainian combat drones” around Grozny. Chechnya is very close to Ukraine Ongoing war with Russia.
Rosaviatsia also reported that dense fog in the Grozny airport area caused an altitude loss of about 1,600 feet. A statement from Rosaviatsia chief Dmitry Yadrov said the pilot was advised of other airports but chose to head to the Kazakh city of Aktau after two unsuccessful attempts to land in Grozny.
Azerbaijan Airlines said on Friday it was also suspending flights from Baku to five other Russian airports. The decision follows the suspension of flights from Baku to Grozny and Makhachkala on Wednesday.
“The grounding will remain in effect until a final investigation is completed,” according to a statement posted on the airline’s Telegram channel on Friday.
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