Russia downplays rumors of Azerbaijani airline crash

Officials in Russia and Kazakhstan remained silent after an Azerbaijani Airlines flight crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday with dozens of people on board.

Ukrainian national security officials blamed Russian airstrikes for the accident. This left 38 people dead on Christmas Day.

The Embraer 190 passenger plane flying from Azerbaijan to Russia had 62 passengers and five crew members on board, according to Kazakh authorities. It flew hundreds of miles off its scheduled route to crash on the opposite side of the Caspian Sea. Twenty-nine people survived.

Video of the crash shows the plane descending quickly before bursting into flames as it hit the seashore. and thick black smoke rose up. Reuters reports

Russia has been blamed for an Azerbaijani Airlines plane that crashed hundreds of miles off course. It took the lives of dozens of people.

The accident occurred near the Kazakh city of Aktau. It killed 38 people on Christmas Day. (Azamat Sarsenbayev)

Officials did not immediately explain why the plane crossed the sea. But the plane crash happened soon after. Drone attack attack southern Russia Drone activity has shut down airports in this area in the past. And the nearest Russian airport on the plane’s flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.

On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the cause of the accident was under investigation. He told reporters that “It would be wrong to make assumptions before investigators make a decision,” the Associated Press reported.

The plane was traveling from Baku. capital of Azerbaijan to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus, the Associated Press reports. (Mangistau District Administration)

Kazakhstan’s parliament speaker Molen Ashimbayev also warned against rushing to conclusions from photos of the plane’s debris. It explained that the accusations of air defense shooting were baseless and “Unethical”

other officials Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan also declined to comment on the cause of the accident. and points to an ongoing investigation to find answers, according to the AP.

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Emergency crews at the scene of the Azerbaijani passenger plane crash on December 1, 2018, 25 Nov 2024. (Azamat Sarsenbayev)

Earlier, Ukraine’s national security official Andrei Kovalenko blamed “Russian air defense systems” for the accident in Position X on Wednesday.

“however Admitting this is not convenient for everyone. So we will try to conceal it. There were even holes in the rest of the plane,” Kovalenko said.

Aviation security company Osprey Flight Solutions also said: Such a flight “It was likely shot down by a Russian military air defense system.” Wall Street Journal report Wednesday night.

“Video of the plane wreckage and the situation surrounding the security environment of the airspace in southwestern Russia. This indicates the possibility that the aircraft was hit by some form of anti-aircraft fire,” said Matt Bory, Osprey’s chief intelligence officer. said in an interview

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St. Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov lays flowers at the Consulate of Azerbaijan in memory of the victims of the St. Petersburg accident. St. Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, December 10, September 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

Russia’s aviation watchdog said it was an emergency possibly caused by a bird collision.

The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning on Thursday for the 38 victims of the plane crash. National flags were lowered across the country. Stop traffic at noon. and various signals Loud from ships and trains As people observed a moment of silence across the country, the AP reported.

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“We will never forget the loved ones we lost in the plane accident. ‘Embraer-190’ crashed,” Azerbaijan Airlines said in a statement on Thursday. “This loss leaves a deep wound in the hearts of the entire community. It 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 may their memory live on forever.”

Pilar Arias and Elizabeth Pritchett of Fox News Digital with the Associated Press contributed to this report.