Azerbaijan Claims ‘External Interference’ Caused Plane Crash Over Russia

Azerbaijan’s transport minister stated that the plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, which met with an accident on December 25, experienced “external interference” and was compromised both internally and externally as it attempted to land in Chechnya, a southern republic of Russia.

“All recipients of survival, without exception, claimed they perceived three explosion noises when the aircraft was positioned above Grozny,” articulated Rashad Nabiyev.

It is believed that the aircraft was targeted by Russian air defense systems prior to being redirected over the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan, resulting in the tragic loss of 38 lives.

The Kremlin has refrained from making comments, although the chief of Russia’s civil aviation authority remarked that the circumstances in Grozny were “very complicated” at that moment and a closed-airspace protocol had been enforced.

“Ukrainian military drones were conducting terrorist assaults on civilian facilities in Grozny and Vladikavkaz,” stated Dmitry Yadrov, the head of Rosaviatsia, in a video announcement distributed by Russia’s Tass news agency.

“Consequently, a ‘Carpet plan’ was established in the vicinity of Grozny airport, which mandated the immediate evacuation of all aircraft from that area,” he continued. “Additionally, dense fog prevailed near Grozny airport.”

Later on Friday, White House spokesperson John Kirby informed the media that the US had observed “early signs” suggesting the plane may have been shot down by Russian air defense forces, though he refrained from elaborating.

The Washington Post noted that Kirby indicated the signs observed by the US extended beyond the widely disseminated images of the damaged aircraft.

Andriy Yermak, spokesperson for the Ukrainian president, asserted that Russia must be held accountable.

On Friday, Azerbaijan Airlines announced that an initial investigation had attributed the blame to both “physical and technical external interference,” although they did not provide further specifics.

Nevertheless, experts in aviation and others in Azerbaijan contend that the aircraft’s GPS systems were compromised by electronic jamming, and subsequently it was damaged by shrapnel from Russian air defense missile detonations.

The transport minister indicated that investigators would now analyze “what type of weapon, or rather what type of missile was employed.”

The administration in Baku has so far refrained from directly blaming Russia, likely in an effort to avoid inciting President Vladimir Putin.

Nonetheless, pro-government MP Rasim Musabekov was explicit: “The aircraft was shot down over Russian airspace, in the skies above Grozny. To deny this is impossible.”

He communicated to the AFP news agency that the aircraft had sustained damage, and the pilot had requested an emergency landing in Grozny. Instead of being rerouted to nearby airfields, he stated that it was “sent far away” over the Caspian Sea without GPS assistance.

Flight attendant Zulfuqar Asadov recounted the moments when the aircraft was struck by “some form of external assault” over Chechnya.

“The force of it induced chaos inside. We endeavored to reassure them, to have them seated. At that precise moment, another strike occurred, and my arm was hurt.”

Experienced Azerbaijani pilot Tahir Agaguliev shared with Azerbaijani media that shrapnel compromised the hydraulics that controlled the aircraft: “The missile itself did not make contact with the aircraft; it was shrapnel from the missile that impacted. The missile exploded about 10m (30ft) away, before reaching the aircraft.”

The crew of the Embraer 190 aircraft is credited with rescuing 29 passengers on board by successfully landing part of the aircraft, despite their own deaths in the incident.

The Kremlin has declined to provide insight regarding the rising instances of reports indicating that the Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft was struck by Russian air defense.

“A probe into this aviation occurrence is currently in progress, and until the findings are established through the investigation, we do not see ourselves as authorized to provide any evaluations,” stated spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

Sources close to the government in Baku reveal that Azerbaijan is seeking a Russian apology or at least recognition that the aircraft was impacted by its air defenses in Grozny.

Four years prior, Baku expressed regret and offered reparation when a Russian air force Mi-24 helicopter was shot down at the conclusion of the 2020 conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

“At this moment, the Azerbaijani side anticipates that Russia will also undertake similar actions,” remarked political analyst Farhad Mammadov.

Kazakh officials have been assisting the injured and collaborating closely with Azerbaijan on the investigation.

According to authorities, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has dispatched two specialists to the crash site, located 3km (1.9 miles) from Aktau airport in Kazakhstan, with three representatives from Brazil’s aviation agency set to arrive on Saturday.

Reports from Baku indicate that both Russia and Kazakhstan have suggested forming a committee from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)—a regional body dominated by Russia—to investigate the incident, but Azerbaijan has demanded an international inquiry instead.

In reaction to the crash, Azerbaijan Airlines and several other carriers have suspended flights to various Russian cities.

In a social media update, the airline conveyed that this was “for safety reasons.” Flights to Grozny and Makhachkala in the proximity of Dagestan had already been halted, and now the cities of Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara, and Mineralnye Vody have been added to the list.

Israel’s national carrier, El Al, has also suspended all flights to Moscow, attributing this decision to developments in Russian airspace, while budget airline Flydubai, based in the UAE, has terminated its flights to Sochi and Mineralnye Vody.