Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash Photo: Issa Tazhenbayev / AFP
Last Wednesday, an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane flying from Baku to Grozny crashed near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. All 38 people on board were killed. The tragedy caused contradictory statements, and the circumstances of the crash continue to be the subject of an international investigation.
Azerbaijan blames Russia for the attack
On Thursday, Azerbaijani government sources reported that the plane was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile fired during military operations in Chechen airspace. According to the sources, the missile was launched from the Pantsir-S air defence system. Missile fragments hit the aircraft, causing it to crash over the territory of Kazakhstan.
In addition, Azerbaijan stated that Russian air traffic controllers refused to allow the damaged aircraft to make an emergency landing at Russian airports. The flight commander was ordered to continue the flight towards Kazakhstan, despite technical problems.
Russia’s official position
The Russian authorities, in turn, called for waiting for the investigation to be completed. Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency explained that the plane was diverted due to thick fog in the Grozny area and increased activity of Ukrainian drones, which were attacking civilian infrastructure at the time.
“The situation around the Grozny airport was difficult, so the ‘Carpet’ regime was in place, which required the airspace to be cleared of all aircraft,” said Rosaviatsiya head Dmitry Yadrov. He also confirmed Russia’s readiness to cooperate with Kazakhstan in the investigation of the crash.
US reaction and international opinion
A US official cited by AFP said that initial intelligence indicates that a Russian air defence system may have been involved in the crash. Washington views the incident as another manifestation of Moscow’s “reckless aggression” in the region.
Conflicting versions
The official version of the tragedy announced in Russia is that the plane collided with a flock of birds. However, photos from the crash site published on the Internet, which showed numerous damages to the fuselage, raised doubts about the veracity of this version.
Experts believe that the tragedy has significant geopolitical implications, given the tensions in the region over the war in Ukraine and the growing pressure on Russia from the international community.
The Kazakh authorities and international organisations are conducting an independent investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy. Azerbaijan and Russia have expressed their readiness to assist in identifying the causes of the disaster. However, given the discrepancies in the parties’ versions, the final conclusions may become another factor in escalating tensions in the region.
