The crew and survivors of an Azerbaijan Airlines airliner that crashed in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day said they heard at least one loud bang before the plane crashed in a fireball, raising suspicions that Russian anti-aircraft missiles may have caused the tragedy. Speculation is mounting.
This comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday apologized to Azerbaijan's president for the “tragic incident”, although he stopped short of accepting responsibility for the disaster.
An Embraer 190 airliner flying from Azerbaijan to Russia crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau after veering away from an area of southern Russia where Moscow has repeatedly used its air defense systems against Ukrainian attack drones. At least 38 people died and 29 survived.
One of the passengers on Flight J2-8243, Sukhonkur Rakhimov, told Reuters from the hospital that after hearing the explosion, he said prayers and began preparing for the end.
Efforts are underway to collect evidence at the scene of the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) airliner near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 27, 2024. (Mayramgul Kusainova/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Azerbaijan Airlines blames 'external interference' for deadly plane crash as Russia speculation rises
“After the explosion…I thought the plane was going to fall apart,” Rakhimov told the magazine. “It was obvious that the plane had sustained some damage. It looked like it had been drunk and it was no longer the same plane.”
“There were two explosions in the sky, and an hour and a half later the plane crashed to the ground,” said surviving passenger Vafa Shabanova.
Another survivor, Zherova Salihat, told Azerbaijani television in an interview at the hospital that “something exploded” near her feet, according to the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, flight attendant Aidan Rahimli said his oxygen mask was automatically removed after a single noise. She said she went to give first aid to her colleague, Zulfgar Asadov, when she heard another explosion.
Asadov said the noise sounded like something was hitting from outside the plane. Moments later, he added, he suddenly “suffered a deep wound. His arm was torn open, as if someone had hit him with an ax.” He denied claims by Kazakh officials that an oxygen cylinder exploded on board the plane.
Asadov said the plane was refused a landing due to fog in Grozny, and the pilot turned around, at which point he heard a bang outside the plane. The plane's two pilots were killed in the accident.
“The pilot had just deplaned.”e I stood up when I heard an explosion from the left wing. There were three explosions,” he told Reuters.
Flight J2-8243 deviated hundreds of miles from its planned route and crashed on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea.
According to Reuters, footage of the crash showed the plane descending rapidly, hitting the beach and bursting into flames, followed by thick plumes of black smoke. Bloodied and bruised passengers could be seen staggering from the part of the plane that remained intact. A hole was found in the tail of the plane.
More than 30 people are believed to have died in the crash near the Kazakh city of Aktau. (Azamat Sarsenbayev)
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On Saturday, Putin apologized by phone to Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev “for the fact that a tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace,” according to a Kremlin transcript of the call.
“(President) Vladimir Putin apologized for the tragic incident that occurred in Russian airspace, reiterated his deep and heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims, and wished a speedy recovery to the injured,” the Kremlin said in a statement. said.
“At that time, Grozny, Mozdok and Vladikavkaz were attacked by Ukrainian drones, and Russian air defense systems repelled these attacks,” the Kremlin said. The Kremlin said the call was made at Putin's request.
On Friday, White House National Security Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters that the U.S. has seen some early signs that “reliably suggest that this fighter jet may have been shot down by Russian air defenses.” He said he was doing so. He declined to elaborate, citing the ongoing investigation.
Azerbaijan's Minister Rashad Nabiyev also suggested that the plane had been hit by a weapon, citing expert analysis and testimony from survivors.
Preliminary results of the investigation into the fatal crash by Azerbaijan suggest that the aircraft was hit by a Russian anti-aircraft missile, or fragments of such a missile, said an official briefed on the investigation. . wall street journal.
A source familiar with the Azerbaijani investigation told Reuters that preliminary results indicate the plane was attacked by Russia's Pantsir-S air defense system. The paper said the source said electronic warfare systems paralyzed communications as the plane approached Grozny.
“No one claims that it was shot down on purpose. However, given the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to shooting down the Azerbaijani plane,” the official said, according to Reuters. said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on claims that the plane had been attacked by Russian air defenses, saying it was up to investigators to determine the cause of the crash.
Russia's aviation watchdog said Friday that the plane decided to reroute from its original destination of Chechnya amid heavy fog and local alerts for Ukrainian drones. The pilot was offered other airports to land, but chose Aktau in Kazakhstan, the agency said.
St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov lays a bouquet at the Azerbaijani Consulate General in memory of the victims of the Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 that crashed near Kazakhstan's Aktau Airport in St. Petersburg, Russia, on December 26, 2024. . . (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
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Meanwhile, Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended flights to eight more Russian airports in the wake of the tragedy.
Flights from Baku to eight Russian airports have been suspended since December 28, the airline said in a post on X. The announcement came in addition to an earlier suspension of flights between Baku and two other Russian airports.
Fox News' Alex Nitzberg, Pilar Arias and Elizabeth Pritchett, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
