Azerbaijan suggests Russian missile downed plane
Azerbaijani government sources and survivors say a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. The United States also suggested that Russia was...
Syndicated News 
Azerbaijani government sources and survivors say a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. The United States also suggested that Russia was behind the crash, raising concerns about air safety in the region amid an ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia.
By Stefan J. Bos
Azerbaijani government officials say a Russian missile was fired at Flight 8432 during drone air activity above Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Chechnya region.
Azerbaijan Airlines suggested that the crash, in which scores of people died, occurred due to what it called “external physical and technical interference.”
The United States said Friday that it, too, has evidence suggesting Russian air defense systems may have shot down the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan this week.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the evidence went beyond circulated images of the damaged aircraft
Shrapnel apparently hit the passengers and cabin crew as it exploded next to the aircraft mid-flight.
Footage showed that passengers appeared to pray and prepare for a crash.
Damaged aircraft refused permission to land in Russia
Azerbaijani government officials said the damaged aircraft was not allowed to land at any Russian airports despite the pilot’s requests for an emergency landing.
Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus.
But without any possibility of coming down safely in Russia, the pilot attempted to land in Kazakhstan.
But that went wrong.
After crossing the Caspian Sea, the plane went down about 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the city of Aktau, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
Witnesses were in shock.
As the investigation continued, Azerbaijan observed a national “day of mourning” for the victims of the tragedy, which also left all 29 survivors injured.
Russian claims that plane deviated from its course
Russia’s aviation authority claimed Friday that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed on Wednesday “deviated” from its planned destination of Grozny “due to heavy fog and Ukrainian drones.”
Moscow also said it wanted to await the outcome of an ongoing investigation.
However, a growing number of experts seem to agree that Russian air defense systems were to blame in an area where Ukrainian drones are attacking Russian targets.
It’s Kyiv’s response to Russia’s ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
Yet it has become clear that a growing number of civilians, including air passengers, have become victims of Europe’s deadliest conflict since the Second World War.
