Preliminary Investigation: Russian Missile Caused Azerbaijan Airlines Crash - Euronews

Euronews reports that a preliminary investigation showed that the cause of the crash was a Russian missile over Grozny.

Euronews cites sources in the Azerbaijani government. 

The news agency writes that the missile was fired at Flight 8432 during drone air activity above Grozny.

According to the sources, the missile was fired at the ship, which was operating flight 8432 (Baku — Grozny). It exploded next to the plane, with fragments damaging the aircraft. This happened when drones attacked Grozny. The damaged aircraft was not allowed to land at any Russian airports despite the pilots’ requests for an emergency landing, and it was ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea towards Aqtau in Kazakhstan. According to data, the plane’s GPS navigation systems were jammed throughout the flight path above the sea,  Euronews writes.

Similar information was divulged by the Azerbaijani media AnewZ, which also cited government sources.

According to AnewZ, the cause of the crash was damage sustained by the plane on approach to Grozny.

They emphasize that the Russian side should have closed its airspace to civil aviation because of the drone attack but did not.

Moreover, as a result of the use of electronic countermeasures by the Russian side, the Azerbaijani aircraft's communication systems were completely paralyzed. For this reason, the aircraft disappeared from radars in Russian airspace and reappeared on the map only over the Caspian Sea, writes AnewZ.

The crew was forced to fly to Aqtau.

AnewZ reports that the plane was presumably sent to Kazakhstan so that it would crash over the Caspian Sea. 

They also write that it would have been much more difficult to prove the Russian side's guilt in such a scenario.

For the Azerbaijani side, the situation is absolutely obvious. No one claims that it was done purposefully. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft, and to conduct a full investigation, which will result in bringing to justice all those responsible., AnewZ writes.

At the same time, Caliber.Az says the plane was attacked over Grozny by a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system.

Meanwhile, the bodies of ten people killed in a plane crash near Aqtau have been identified, according to Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations.

These are three citizens of Kazakhstan, three of the Russian Federation, and four of Azerbaijan. 

According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the operations continue. 

Original Author: Nikita Drobny