Russian and Kazakh officials remain tight-lipped after an Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday with dozens of souls on board.
Ukrainian national security officials blamed Russian air defense fire for the deadly crash that killed 38 people on Christmas Day.
Kazakh authorities said the Embraer 190 airliner was flying from Azerbaijan to Russia with 62 passengers and five crew members on board. It flew hundreds of miles off its planned route and crashed on the other side of the Caspian Sea. 29 people survived.
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.
Russia blamed for Azerbaijan Airlines jet that veered hundreds of miles off course and crashed, killing dozens
Thirty-eight people were killed in the Christmas Day accident near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. (Azamat Sarsenbayev)
Officials did not immediately explain why the plane crossed the ocean, but the crash occurred shortly after. drone attack It struck southern Russia. Drone activity has shut down airports in the region in the past, and the nearest Russian airport in the plane's flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the cause of the crash was under investigation. “It is wrong for investigators to make assumptions before making a verdict,” he told reporters, according to the Associated Press.
The plane was en route from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, a city in Russia's North Caucasus, the Associated Press reported. (Mangistau local administration)
Kazakhstan's parliament speaker, Mauren Asinbayev, also called the allegations of air defense fire baseless and “unethical” and warned against jumping to conclusions based on photos of plane debris.
Other officials in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan similarly declined to comment on the cause of the crash, noting that investigations seeking answers were ongoing, according to the Associated Press.
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Emergency workers at the crash site of an Azerbaijani airliner on December 25, 2024. (Azamat Sarsenbayev)
Earlier, Ukrainian national security official Andriy Kovalenko blamed “Russian air defense systems” for the crash in an X-post on Wednesday.
“But it would be inconvenient for everyone to admit this, so efforts will be made to hide it, including the holes in the rest of the aircraft,” Kovalenko insisted.
Aviation security company Osprey Flight Solutions also said the plane was “likely shot down by Russian military air defense systems.” The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night.
“The footage of the wreckage and the state of the airspace security environment in southwestern Russia indicate that the aircraft may have been hit by some form of anti-aircraft fire,” Matt Boley, the Osprey's chief intelligence officer, said in an interview. .
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St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov placed flowers in memory of the crash victims at the Azerbaijani Consulate General in St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, December 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
Meanwhile, Russian aviation surveillance authorities said the emergency may have been caused by a bird strike.
The Kremlin did not respond to requests for comment.
Azerbaijan marked a national day of mourning on Thursday to commemorate the 38 victims of the plane crash. National flags were lowered across the country as people observed a moment of silence, traffic stopped at noon and ships and trains blared, according to the Associated Press.
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“We will never forget the loved ones we lost in the Embraer 190 crash,” Azerbaijan Airlines said in a statement on Thursday. “This loss has left a deep scar on the hearts of our entire community. This event reminds us to be more compassionate and connected to each other.”
“May the souls of those who tragically lost their lives rest in peace and their memories live on forever.”
Pilar Arias and Elizabeth Pritchett of Fox News Digital and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
