Preliminary findings into the tragic crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan have pointed to “external physical and technical interference,” the airline said on Wednesday. The crash, which occurred near the city of Aktau, claimed the lives of at least 38 people.
Flight J2-8243, an Embraer passenger jet, was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia’s southern Chechnya region when it tragically veered off course. The plane deviated hundreds of miles off its intended path across the Caspian Sea before crashing.
Sources familiar with the preliminary investigation shared with Reuters that Russian air defences mistakenly shot down the aircraft. This comes amid heightened tensions in the region, as Russian air defence systems have been used to counter Ukrainian drone strikes over the past few months.
Dmitry Yadrov, the head of Russia’s civil aviation agency, said on Telegram that Ukrainian drones were targeting civilian infrastructure in Grozny at the time of the incident. He added that there was heavy fog over the airport, and the conditions were “complicated” during the plane’s final approach.
Yadrov further explained that the plane had made two unsuccessful landing attempts before the pilot decided to divert to Aktau airport. “The pilot was offered alternative airports but opted for Aktau due to the situation,” he said. While Russia’s aviation watchdog initially suggested the cause of the emergency could have been a bird strike, Yadrov’s statement indicated the influence of ongoing military actions in the area.
A survivor of the crash, Subhonkul Rakhimov, recounted the terrifying moments leading up to the crash, describing hearing a loud bang as the plane approached Grozny. “I thought the plane was going to fall apart,” Rakhimov said from a hospital bed, adding that the aircraft began to behave erratically, leading him to prepare for the worst.
Azerbaijan Airlines has since suspended flights to seven Russian cities in response to the incident. The airline stated that the decision was made after considering the initial findings of the investigation and the associated flight safety risks.
The Kremlin has refrained from making any public statements on the matter, awaiting the results of an official investigation. Meanwhile, the search for more details about the cause of the crash continues, with authorities closely examining the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.