Russia’s aviation chief mentioned Friday {that a} Ukrainian drone assault was below manner within the area of Chechnya on the time an Azerbaijani airliner tried to land earlier than diverting to Kazakhstan and crashing there earlier this week.
Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, did not touch upon statements by an Azerbaijani lawmaker and plenty of aviation consultants who blamed Wednesday’s crash on Russian air defence fireplace.
Azerbaijan Airways’ Embraer 190 was flying from Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku to the Russian metropolis of Grozny within the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for causes nonetheless unclear and crashed whereas attempting to land in Aktau, Kazakhstan, after flying east throughout the Caspian Sea. The crash killed 38 individuals and left all 29 survivors injured.
Azerbaijan Airways mentioned in an announcement that it might pause flights to extra Russian cities “following the preliminary outcomes of the investigation into the crash of the Embraer 190 plane working flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny, brought on by bodily and technical interference, and contemplating potential dangers to flight security.”
The airline didn’t specify what it meant by “bodily and technical interference.”
As Azerbaijan mourns 38 individuals killed aboard a flight that crashed in Kazakhstan, consultants are pointing to indicators they are saying recommend a missile, probably one from Russia, was accountable.
Authorities in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Russia have been tight-lipped a couple of attainable explanation for the crash pending an official probe, however a lawmaker in Azerbaijan blamed Moscow. Rasim Musabekov instructed the Azerbaijani information company Turan on Thursday that the airplane was fired on whereas within the skies over Grozny, and urged Russia to supply an official apology.
Requested about Musabekov’s assertion, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to remark, saying that will probably be as much as investigators to find out the reason for the crash.
“The air incident is being investigated and we do not consider now we have the proper to make any assessments till the conclusions are made on account of the investigation,” Peskov mentioned in a convention name with reporters.
Yadrov, the Russian aviation chief, mentioned that because the airplane was making ready to land in Grozny in deep fog, Ukrainian drones have been concentrating on Grozny, prompting authorities to shut the realm for air visitors.
Yadrov mentioned that after the captain made two unsuccessful makes an attempt to land in Grozny, he was provided different airports instead however determined to fly to Aktau throughout the Caspian Sea.
“The scenario within the space of Grozny airport was fairly tough,” he mentioned in an announcement. “There are lots of circumstances that it is necessary to research collectively.”
Investigators from Azerbaijan are working in Grozny as a part of the crash probe, Azerbaijani Prosecutor Basic’s workplace mentioned in an announcement.
Specialists say airplane seemingly hit by Russian defence system
Because the official crash probe began, some aviation consultants identified that holes seen within the airplane’s tail part advised that it might have come below fireplace from Russian air defence methods heading off a Ukrainian drone assault.
Ukrainian drones had beforehand attacked Grozny, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, and different areas within the nation’s North Caucasus. An official in Chechnya mentioned one other drone assault on the area was fended off on Wednesday, though federal authorities did not report it.
FlightRadar24 mentioned in a web-based put up that the plane had confronted “sturdy GPS jamming” that interfered with flight monitoring knowledge. Russia has extensively used subtle jamming gear to fend off drone assaults.
Airline pauses flights to extra Russian cities
Following Wednesday’s suspension of flights from Baku to Grozy and Makhachkala, Azerbaijan Airways on Friday additionally halted service to Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa and Samara.
The corporate will proceed to function flights to 6 different Russian cities together with Moscow, St. Petersburg and Kazan. These cities even have been repeatedly focused by Ukrainian drone strikes up to now.
Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Air additionally introduced Friday that it was suspending flights from Astana to the Russian metropolis of Yekaterinburg within the Ural Mountains for a month.
The day earlier than, Israeli El Al suspended flights from Tel Aviv to Moscow citing “developments in Russia’s airspace.” The airline mentioned it might reassess the scenario subsequent week to resolve whether or not to renew the flights.
