New Delhi:
The Azerbaijan Airlines jet that crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day may have been “accidentally hit” by a Russian surface-to-air missile or anti-aircraft fire while en route from Baku to Grozny, military experts say. has been quoted and proposed in multiple reports.
Of the 67 people on board, 38 people died: 62 passengers and 5 crew members.
Two girls, aged 11 and 16, were among the 29 survivors.
The investigation is ongoing, but aviation experts cited in some foreign media reports, including the Wall Street Journal, Euronews and news agency AFP, say there are holes in the plane’s fuselage and marks on the tail. They point out that they are consistent. Damage from missile fragments.
A video posted to X by Crash Report, which covers military conflicts, showed multiple large holes several inches wide in the plane’s fuselage.
Very interesting: traces of debris left on the fuselage of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan today. pic.twitter.com/3X5PTIR66E
— Crash Report (@clashreport) December 25, 2024
Azerbaijan Airlines’ passenger planes also flew into areas where Ukrainian drone activity has been reported, including Grozny, the capital of Chechnya and a key target for Kiev as the country’s war with Russia stretches into its third year. It has also been pointed out that the country is heavily defended. by anti-aircraft weapons.
“We were hit by anti-aircraft fire.”
Russian military blogger Yuri Podlyaka told AFP news agency that the holes seen in the plane’s wreckage resembled damage caused by an “anti-aircraft missile system.” The damage suggests the plane may have been “accidentally hit by an air defense missile system,” he said.
And Matt Boley, chief information officer at aviation risk management firm Osprey Flight Solutions, told the Journal (paywall behind the scenes), “The situation surrounding the wreckage and airspace security in southwestern Russia is such that the aircraft “fire, indicating that it was hit by some form of anti-aircraft gun.” “
Video | Passengers capture moments before and after plane crash in Kazakhstan
Russian media outlet Meduza agreed with that assessment. According to a report in the Kiev Independent, footage of damaged plane parts shows signs of a surface-to-air missile impact, and similar damage has been reported in other aircraft shot down by similar missiles. He said it has also been observed on civilian and military aircraft.
Additionally, although NDTV has not been able to substantiate it, there were reports that Grozny was attacked by Ukrainian drones a few weeks ago, Russian air defense forces stationed there mistook Azerbaijan Airlines planes for drones, and Embraer Air Forces. This suggests that they may have engaged in a battle with a Type 190 aircraft. jet.
I heard a big explosion
In fact, some of the survivors (all of whom were seated in the back seats) claimed to have heard a loud explosion outside the plane shortly after their request to land at Grozny Airport was rejected.
According to Britain’s Telegraph newspaper, the explosions were caused by the plane’s oxygen tanks exploding mid-air.
One video taken from inside the plane shows a female passenger with an apparent shrapnel wound to her leg.
A new in-flight video shows a woman injured in the leg (from “shrapnel,” according to Azerbaijani source Caliber) on board the crashed Azerbaijan Airlines jet.
“Many questions remain and research will provide answers.” pic.twitter.com/IFtuTCTgJv
— Crash Report (@clashreport) December 25, 2024
The plane then turned back across the Caspian Sea to return to Kazakhstan, but a second emergency (as yet unknown, but probably a hydraulic system failure) occurred and a landing request was made in Aktau.
Unfortunately, the plane did not make it that far and crashed in a field 3 kilometers from the airport.
Horrifying footage online showed the plane struggling to maintain altitude and plummeting to the ground, tearing its tail and fuselage apart. Azerbaijan Airlines initially claimed the crash was caused by a flock of birds colliding with the plane, but later retracted that statement.
This video shows what happened minutes before the plane crash in Kazakhstan. The plane climbed and descended several times before crashing. pic.twitter.com/dQ0H1c9R0R
— BNO News Live (@BNODesk) December 25, 2024
The plane’s black box has been recovered and flight data and voice recorder data will be examined as part of the investigation, Euronews reported.
If a Russian missile is identified as the cause of the crash, it would be the second confirmed shooting down of a civilian jet by Moscow or its allies. In 2014, a Malaysia Airlines MH-17 was shot down by Russian-backed forces in the Donbas, also using a surface-to-air missile.
Russia condemns speculation
“We have to wait for the conclusion of the investigation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told AFP.
Meanwhile, Kazakhstan’s Senate President Mauren Asinbayev said it was “impossible” to reveal what damaged the plane at this point, Russia’s TASS news agency reported.
“Real experts are considering it… They will come to a conclusion. Of course, neither Kazakhstan nor Russia nor Azerbaijan is interested in hiding information. The information will be made available to the public,” he said. Ta.
“Day of Remembrance”
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev declared a day of mourning on Thursday and canceled a planned trip to Russia for an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a group of former Soviet states. He also ordered a series of measures to investigate the possible causes of the disaster.
Aliyev also said he had heard that “deteriorating weather conditions” led to the accident.
“I would like to express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the accident and pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” he said in a social media post. His wife, Mehriban Aliyeva, who is also the vice president, said: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the tragic loss of life in the plane crash…”
Based on opinions from agents
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