An Azerbaijani minister has indicated that an airliner involved in a crash earlier this week may have been struck by an external weapon. The assertion was made based on expert assessments and accounts from survivors who reported that the plane was hit from the outside. The comments put pressure on Russia, which has yet to comment on aviation experts’ claims that Russian air defenses might have been responding to a Ukrainian attack at the time of the crash.
The aircraft, traveling from Baku to Grozny, turned toward Kazakhstan and crashed during an attempted landing, leading to 38 fatalities and injuring 29 survivors. Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transportation, Rashad Nabiyev, mentioned that preliminary conclusions suggested an external impact. He noted that the investigation would determine the type of weapon involved.
Eyewitnesses described loud noises on the aircraft, and flight attendant Aydan Rahimli recalled the oxygen masks deploying automatically after a noise. Claims that the sounds were from something striking the plane externally were supported by Zulfugar Asadov, a colleague on the flight, who dismissed Kazakh officials’ suggestions that an oxygen canister had exploded.
Russian authorities, represented by Dmitry Yadrov, head of Rosaviatsia, stated that air traffic to Grozny was halted due to Ukrainian drones targeting the city. Following two unsuccessful landing attempts, the airplane diverted to Aktau in Kazakhstan. However, the idea that external fire hit the plane due to Russian defenses remains unaddressed.
Azerbaijan Airlines attributed the crash to vague “physical and technical interference” and suspended flights to several Russian airports, offering no further specifics. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refrained from commenting on accusations concerning Russian air defenses, emphasizing the ongoing investigation.
Should it be determined that Russian defenses were responsible, this crash would mark the second significant aviation incident involving civilian casualties linked to the Ukraine conflict, reminiscent of the 2014 Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 disaster, where a Russian missile downed a passenger plane.
In the aftermath, Azerbaijan suspended flights to additional Russian cities, maintaining a limited schedule to select destinations despite ongoing drone attacks. Kazakhstan’s Qazaq Air also suspended service from Astana to Russia, while FlyDubai and Israel’s El Al made similar adjustments due to escalating risks in Russian airspace.
