Washington: U.S. authorities suggested on Friday that Russian air defence systems may have played a role in the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight near Kazakhstan’s Aktau city, which resulted in the deaths of at least 38 people.
Azerbaijan’s Transport Minister, Rashad Nabiyev, had earlier confirmed that the passenger aircraft, which was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, had been subjected to “external interference” while attempting to land in the Chechnya region. Nabiyev stated that the aircraft suffered significant damage both internally and externally. The flight, which was carrying 62 passengers and five crew members, crashed on December 27, leaving 38 dead and 29 injured survivors.
U.S. White House Spokesperson John Kirby revealed that “early indications” suggested the possibility that the crash was caused by Russian air defence systems. He refrained from offering further details, stating that investigations were still underway.
Nabiyev, speaking earlier in the day, shared accounts from survivors who reported hearing three explosions while flying over Grozny. He indicated that the exact type of weapon used in the attack would be determined during the investigation. Azerbaijani investigators have since been deployed to Grozny as part of the ongoing probe.
The crash took place in the context of heightened regional tensions, with Russian authorities citing Ukrainian combat drones attacking civilian infrastructure in Grozny and Vladikavkaz. Dmitry Yadrov, the head of Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia, stated that the situation in Grozny at the time was “very complicated” and that a closed-skies protocol had been enforced.
According to Russian authorities, the captain of the ill-fated aircraft had attempted two unsuccessful landings before ultimately deciding to divert to Aktau. Azerbaijan Airlines later attributed the crash to unspecified “physical and technical interference,” though it did not elaborate further. In response to the incident, the airline has suspended flights to several Russian airports.
This tragedy comes amid ongoing tensions from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the deadliest European war since World War II, which has seen drone attacks targeting infrastructure in areas such as Grozny.