According to preliminary findings of the investigation into the plane crash, the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer plane that crashed in Kazakhstan was shot down by Russian air defense systems. The plane's communications were also completely paralyzed on its approach to the Chechen capital.
Points of attention
- The preliminary findings of the plane crash investigation suggest that the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer was shot down by Russian air defense systems.
- The plane's communications were paralyzed by electronic warfare systems during its flight to Grozny, raising questions about Russia's involvement.
- Osprey Flight Solutions highlights the possibility of the plane being shot down by anti-aircraft fire in southwestern Russia, supported by publicly available flight tracking data.
- Both Azerbaijani and American investigations confirm the initial conclusions, emphasizing Russia's recklessness in invading Ukraine.
- The ongoing investigation into the crash has sparked debates about the responsibility of Russian air defense forces and potential implications for international relations.
Azerbaijani plane shot down by Russian air defense
This information was reported to Reuters on Thursday by four sources familiar with the preliminary conclusions of the Azerbaijani investigation into the disaster.
An Azerbaijani source familiar with the investigation into the crash said preliminary findings indicated the plane was shot down by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system. The source said the plane's communications were paralyzed by electronic warfare systems on its approach to Grozny.
No one claims that this was done intentionally. However, given the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to admit to shooting down the Azerbaijani plane.
Three other sources confirmed that the Azerbaijani investigation had reached the same preliminary conclusion.
On December 26, a U.S. official confirmed to Reuters initial indications that the plane may have been shot down by a Russian air defense system. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that if confirmed, the evidence would show Russia’s recklessness in its invasion of Ukraine.
Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Kanat Bozimbayev said that he could neither confirm nor deny the theory that the plane was shot down by Russian air defense forces.
When asked about the possibility that Russian air defenses shot down the plane, the Kazakh transport prosecutor for the region where the plane crashed said that the investigation had not yet reached a final conclusion.
Aviation safety company Osprey Flight Solutions told airlines on Wednesday that footage of the wreckage and circumstances surrounding the airspace in southwestern Russia suggested the airliner was likely shot down by "some form of anti-aircraft fire."
In addition, the publication notes, publicly available ADS-B flight tracking data confirms that the Azerbaijani plane experienced GPS jamming throughout its flight over southwestern Russia.
The Kremlin, when contacted by Reuters with a question about whether the plane was shot down by Russian air defense systems, said that it would be incorrect to comment on this before the investigation is complete.
"It is wrong to build hypotheses based on the conclusions of the investigation," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
Plane crash in Kazakhstan: what is known
An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane flying from Baku to Grozny, Russia, crashed near the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan on December 25. There were 67 people on board, 38 of whom died.
Azerbaijan Airlines initially reported that, according to preliminary information, the cause of the incident was a collision between the plane and birds.
Kazakh media, citing the health department of the Mangystau region, report that there may have been an explosion on board. Survivors of the crash also speak about the explosion. Photos and videos from the crash site posted online show holes in the plane's skin, the origin of which is unclear.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, reported on December 25 that an Embraer 190 aircraft of an Azerbaijani airline was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile system.
