The Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan this week was subject to “physical external interference,” according to the carrier and Azerbaijan’s transport minister on Friday.
The preliminary findings of the investigation have fuelled conjecture that the aircraft was hit by a Russian air defence system.
The jet crashed in the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
The incident occurred when the jet attempted to land at the Russian city of Grozny but deviated considerably off course over the Caspian Sea.
Russia’s aviation director disclosed on Friday that the plane was attacked by Ukrainian drones as it attempted to land, but the Kremlin has declined to comment on reports that Russian air defence weapons unintentionally shot down the aircraft.
Statements from Azerbaijan, referencing the investigation, suggest that the plane was struck mid-air.
“Based on the opinion of experts and eyewitness accounts, it can be concluded that there was external interference,” Azerbaijan’s transport minister, Rashad Nabiyev, told reporters.
“It is necessary to identify the type of weapon,” he added, citing survivors’ reports of hearing “three explosions” as the plane passed over Grozny.
Azerbaijan Airlines ordered the suspension of flights to 10 Russian airports, citing early findings that flight J2-8243, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed due to “physical and technical external interference.”.
Dmitry Yadrov, chairman of Russia’s civil aviation agency, indicated that “the situation around Grozny airport was very complex” at the time, with Ukrainian drones striking civilian facilities in Grozny and Vladikavkaz.
Yadrov further stated that the Azeri pilot made “two unsuccessful attempts to land in Grozny amid thick fog” before deciding to divert to Aktau Airport.
Russia on Friday declined to comment on the crash.
“Until the investigation is concluded, we will not comment,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Aviation and military specialists have cited shrapnel damage on the wreckage as proof that the airliner was attacked by air defence systems.
Azerbaijani media, including the pro-government website Calibre, published assertions from anonymous sources that the accident was caused by a Russian missile fired from a Pantsir-S1 air defence system.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky demanded a “thorough investigation” into the disaster, claiming that visual evidence pointed to Russian involvement.
“Every loss of life deserves a thorough investigation to uncover the truth,” Zelensky stated on social media.
Subkhonkul Rakhimov, a Russian survivor, told state television RT that an “explosion” appeared outside the jet as it attempted to land in Grozny, forcing shrapnel to enter the fuselage.
“The fuselage near where I was sitting flew off. I grabbed a life jacket and saw it was pierced by shrapnel,” he recounted.
