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Azerbaijan and Kazakh national airlines have suspended some flights to Russia after evidence emerged that an Azerbaijani plane was shot down by a Russian air defense system.
Kazakhstan Airlines said on Friday it had suspended its route from Astana to Yekaterinburg, and Azerbaijan Airlines suspended flights to seven cities in southern Russia, the Kazakh News Agency reported.
The measures come after an Azerbaijan Airlines flight from Baku to the Russian regional capital Grozny was diverted across the Caspian Sea and crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
Video of the crashed plane’s fuselage showed multiple puncture marks consistent with air defense fire. There is also evidence that Russia was jamming GPS navigation systems near Grozny, apparently to defend against attacks by Ukrainian drones.
Azerbaijani Transport Minister Rashad Nabiyev said on Friday that evidence collected by Azerbaijani investigators suggested “external interference” to the plane.
“Injured passengers and surviving flight attendants said they heard explosions while flying over Grozny,” Nabiyev said, adding that there was video evidence showing a flight attendant and a passenger’s Injuries to arms and legs.
One early theory suggested there was an explosion on the plane. But Nabiyev said witness testimony showed otherwise.
“Injured Russian citizens also reported hearing three explosions over Grozny. According to them, explosions were heard from outside and then something hit the plane,” the minister told reporters.
He said that the Azerbaijani committee inspected the aircraft fuselage on site and also pointed out external influences. “Fusel damage and shrapnel marks were recorded inside the aircraft.”
Qatar Airways said it would suspend flights to Yekaterinburg until January 27, pending an “ongoing risk assessment” of flights to Russia. Azerbaijan Airlines said it had suspended flights to Grozny and other cities in southern Russia until an investigation into the accident was completed.
Israel’s flag carrier El Al also announced on Thursday it was suspending flights from Tel Aviv to Moscow pending a safety review.
Russia insists the plane was unable to land in Grozny due to heavy fog and hit a flock of birds. Local authorities in the North Ossetia region near Russia announced that it had been attacked by Ukrainian drones. One of the drones was shot down and a woman died on the spot. However, Kommersant reported that there was no “heavy fog” forecast for Grozny at that time.
The head of Russia’s Rosaviatsia aviation agency, Dmitry Yadrov, said on Thursday that the situation around Grozny was “very difficult” due to attacks by Ukrainian fighter jets. The Kremlin declined to comment on the cause of the crash.
The incident has been compared to Malaysian Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine in 2014. Ukraine.
Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Russian officials are conducting a joint investigation. The type of aircraft involved is an Embraer 190 regional jet, previously considered one of the safest civilian aircraft in the world.
Senior U.S. and Ukrainian officials also pointed to Russian air defense systems. Andrei Kovalenko, an official of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, posted on Telegram on Thursday that Russia should close its airspace over Grozny.
“The plane was damaged by the Russians and flown to Kazakhstan instead of making an emergency landing in Grozny and saving people’s lives,” he wrote.
Azerbaijani parliament member Rasim Musabekov called on Russia to apologize.
“This plane was shot down over Grozny on Russian territory, that cannot be denied,” Musabekov told the Turan news agency. “This is how civilized relations work. If the air defense system is active, it should be shut down airport and issued warnings to prevent flights to the area.
Richard Giragosian, director of the Center for Regional Studies, a Yerevan think tank, said the plane crash “will obviously trigger a crisis between Baku and Moscow.”
He noted that the incident took place against the backdrop of Azerbaijan’s war with Armenia, which led to Baku’s takeover of the Nagorno-Karabakh region last year. The annexation undermined the authority of Russian peacekeepers deployed there and marked a turning point in the decline of Russian influence in the South Caucasus.
“Azerbaijan’s legitimate anger and indignation against Russia will become more overconfident and emboldened to pressure Moscow,” Giragosian added. “The clear loser in the South Caucasus will be Russia’s strength and prestige.”
Cartography by Steven Bernard
