WEB DESK: Senior Azerbaijani officials have officially confirmed to Anadolu on Thursday the accuracy of earlier media reports indicating that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday was caused by a Russian missile system.
The confirmation came through a statement to Anadolu Agency, highlighting growing tensions over the incident.
Missile strike caused crash
A source from Azerbaijan media referred to government sources, which confirmed that preliminary investigation results indicated that the airplane was attacked with a Pantsir missile while approaching Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic in Russia.
Reports suggested Russian electronic warfare systems that disabled communications onboard and made the plane disappear off the radars while still inside the Russian airspace. It reappeared near the Caspian Sea before it crashed.
Crash details and casualties
The Embraer 190 aircraft which was carrying a load of 67 passengers and crew on a flight from Baku to Grozny crashed about 3 kilometers from Kazakh coastal Aktau city next to the Caspian Sea. Kazakh authorities have reported 38 persons dead, with 29 survivors. Joint investigations are currently being undertaken by both Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to determine the real cause of the tragedy.
Conflicting ideas on the cause
Both Azerbaijan Airlines and Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency initially suggested a bird strike as a possible cause. However, photos from the crash site that show heavy damage to the airplane’s tail have led to speculation that it was shot down. These findings support yet more claims concerning missile involvement.
Kremlin reaction
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the charges, calling for all to await the completion of investigations.
