Emergency specialists enactment astatine the clang tract of an Azerbaijan Airlines rider pitchy adjacent the occidental Kazakh metropolis of Aktau connected December 25, 2024. The Embraer 190 craft was expected to alert northwest from the Azerbaijani superior Baku to the metropolis of Grozny successful Chechnya successful confederate Russia, but alternatively diverted acold disconnected people crossed the Caspian Sea. It crashed connected December 25, 2024 adjacent the metropolis of Aktau successful Kazakhstan.
Issa Tazhenbayev | Afp | Getty Images
An probe into the deadly crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight in Kazakhstan earlier this week came aft the rider level experienced "physical and method outer interference," the bearer said connected Friday.
The Embraer 190 crashed adjacent the Kazakh metropolis of Aktau connected Wednesday, sidesplitting 38 of the 67 radical connected committee portion en way from Baku, the superior of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, the superior of Chechnya, Russia.
According to a U.S. official, aboriginal grounds indicated the level whitethorn person been struck by a Russian anti-aircraft system.
On Thursday, Matthew Borie, main quality serviceman astatine the aviation information steadfast Osprey Flight Solutions, told NBC News that "the formation was apt changeable down by a Russian aerial defence system."
At the clip of the incident, Russian aerial defence forces were defending against a Ukrainian military-grade weaponized drone onslaught that progressive Russia shooting down drones, helium said.
While Russian officials have cautioned against speculation about what caused the formation to crash, connected Friday, the country's aviation authorization said the concern astir Grozny, Chechnya, was "very complicated" erstwhile the level was diverted to Kazakhstan wherever it crashed.
Rosaviatsia, Russia's aviation authority, cited the beingness of "Ukrainian combat drones" astir Grozny. Chechnya is adjacent to Ukraine and the ongoing warfare with Russia.
Rosaviatsia besides reported that dense fog successful the country of Grozny airdrome meant determination was nary visibility astatine an altitude of astir 1,600 feet. The aviator was offered alternate airports, but chose to proceed to the Kazakh metropolis of Aktau aft 2 unsuccessful attempts to onshore successful Grozny, according to a connection issued by Dmitry Yadrov, caput of Rosaviatsia.
On Friday, Azerbaijan Airlines said it had besides suspended flights from Baku to 5 further Russian airports. This determination follows the suspension of flights from Baku to Grozny and Makhachkala, introduced connected Wednesday.
"The suspension volition stay successful effect until the completion of the last investigation," according to a connection posted connected the airline's Telegram transmission connected Friday.
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