Did Russia mistakenly shoot down the airliner that crashed in Kazakhstan ? In any case, this is what several sources close to the investigation told Reuters, concerning the crash of this plane which left 38 dead yesterday in the west of the country. This Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft was hit by a missile from the Russian air defense systemaccording to several experts.
And to arrive at this conclusion, experts rely on the multiple missile fragments visible on the tail of the aircraft. Traces reminiscent of the missiles of the Russian anti-aircraft defense system used in this region of Chechnya. Since the start of the war, Russia has had a habit of shooting at Ukrainian drones. The accident would therefore be due to a target error. The Azerbaijani government accuses Moscow of not checking their radar before shooting.
Another disturbing fact is that the aircraft crossed the Caspian Sea before crashing in Kazakhstan. Russian authorities did not grant him permission to make an emergency landing on their territory. And this, despite the pilots' calls for help. Thirty-eight of the sixty-two passengers lost their lives. Russia rejects accusations as speculation. An investigation is opened by Moscow and Nur-Sultan.
International channel Euronews said a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the crash, citing Azerbaijani government sources on condition of anonymity. The missile was allegedly fired during “drone aerial activity above Grozny”, the capital of Chechnya where the plane was due to land, the media added.
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