Russia reportedly attempted to crash the Azerbaijan Airlines plane into the sea by denying it permission to allow it to land after a missile attack before jamming its navigation system.
A Russian surface-to-air missile hit the flight on Christmas Day, causing the plane to crash in Kazakhstan, a tragedy that claimed the lives of 38 people.
Sources told Euronews that the missile was fired at Flight 8432 amid drone aerial activity over Grozny, the Chechen capital, citing a preliminary investigation.
They said the pilot was prevented from landing at any Russian airport despite making emergency pleas and was instead ordered to continue on to Kazakhstan.
Taking X, citing pro-government media, The Azeri Times confirmed that Russia denied the Azerbaijan Airlines plane emergency landings in three nearby conditions, despite its critical condition.
The media outlet also claimed that the plane was subjected to “extreme GPS interference” that forced its hero pilot, Aleksandr Kalyaninov, to divert the flight over the Caspian Sea, where he eventually landed in Aktau, Kazakhstan.
Local media cited government sources in suggesting that the jammers “paralyzed” the plane’s communication systems.
According Flightradar24 dataThe aircraft took off from the Azerbaijan capital Baku at 03:55 am and valid position data was received from the aircraft until 04:25 am, when the flight encountered significant GPS interference.
This is the horrifying moment a passenger plane crashed to the ground in a fireball during a crash landing on Christmas Day.
After Russian air defense hit an Azeri aircraft over Grozny (yellow circle), it requested an emergency landing. Russia rejected landings at the airports of Nalchik, Vladikavkaz and Makhachkala (red circles), but diverted them to Kazakhstan via the Caspian Sea.
Flightradar24 receivers did not receive data from the aircraft between 04:40 am and 05:03 am and between a second interval between 05:04 am and 05:13 am The aircraft was sent to fly from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia.
The plane was subjected to “extreme GPS interference” that forced its hero pilot, Aleksandr Kalyaninov, to divert the flight over the Caspian Sea, where he eventually landed in Aktau, Kazakhstan.
The plane stopped sending position data completely during the period between 04:25 am and 04:37 am, the data revealed.
And between 4:37 a.m. and 4:40 a.m., the plane sent likely erroneous position data, the flight tracker claims.
Flightradar24 receivers did not receive data from the aircraft between 04:40 am and 05:03 am and between a second interval between 05:04 am and 05:13 am
From 05:13 to 06:07 all data received from the aircraft lacked position information, he said, adding that from 06:07 until the end of the flight at 06:28, position data was received. of the aircraft.
Government sources earlier said the plane was hit by a missile fired from a Pantsir-S air defense system from Chechnya’s Naursky district.
Thirty-eight passengers died in yesterday’s crash as the plane attempted to make an emergency landing before exploding in a fireball.
Russia has sought to downplay speculation that the flight had been shot down by a Russian missile, asking for patience while the investigation is carried out.
Kazakhstan has said it would conduct an investigation into the accident, suggesting it would cooperate with Azerbaijan but not Russia. Azerbaijan is understood to be carrying out its own investigation.
The wreckage of the Kazakhstan Airlines Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport in Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, December 25.
A source familiar with the Azerbaijani investigation told Reuters that while “no one is claiming it was done on purpose,” Baku “expects the Russian side to confess to the downing of the Azerbaijani plane.”
It comes as Azerbaijan marks a nationwide day of mourning for the victims of the plane crash. This morning national flags were lowered, traffic across the country stopped at midday and signals were sounded from ships and trains as the country observed a nationwide moment of silence for the victims of the horrific crash.
Footage from the crash site shows rescuers searching for survivors inside the Azerbaijan Airlines flight from Baku to the Russian city of Grozny, which crashed with 67 passengers and five crew members on board.
Chaos ensued as rescuers entered the severed rear part of the plane, where several people can be seen lying on the ground. Surprisingly, some were found still alive.
A trapped woman screamed at rescuers: “Please help me!” A firefighter asked her if she needed help getting up and she confirmed that she would need to be pulled out of the rubble.
At least 29 people who reportedly survived the crash are known to have been found in the rear of the plane, while the front was severely destroyed by fire.
The latest figures indicate that 22 of the 29 survivors are being treated in hospital, seven of whom are in serious condition. At least ten people died after being thrown from the cabin.
Terrifying video shows the moment the plane burst into flames and broke into several pieces as it hit the ground, while thick black smoke rose from the mangled plane.
The front of the plane burst into flames as the plane hit the ground.
At least ten people died after being thrown from the plane
People are seen standing near the back of the crashed passenger plane.
The bloodied and bruised passengers could later be seen falling from a piece of the fuselage that had remained intact.
Azerbaijan Airlines, the country’s national carrier, said the Embraer 190 had “made an emergency landing” about three kilometers from Aktau, an oil and gas hub on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea.
‘A plane flying on the Baku-Grozny route crashed near the city of Aktau. It belongs to Azerbaijan Airlines,” the Kazakh ministry said on Telegram.
The Embraer E190AR with registration number 4K-AZ65 sent a distress signal at an altitude of 2,125 feet above the Caspian Sea.
Before the accident, the crew had reported a strong impact to the hull. They assumed that the plane hit a flock of birds, but then evidence accumulated that this was a mistaken attack by the Russian air defense.
Kazakh authorities said they had begun investigating different possible versions of what happened, including a technical problem, Russian news agency Interfax reported.
After the accident, Ilham Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan, was returning home from Russia, where he was due to attend a summit on Wednesday, the Russian news agency RIA reported.
Ramzan Kadyrov, Chechnya’s Kremlin-backed leader, expressed his condolences in a statement and said those being treated in the hospital were in extremely serious condition and that he and others would pray for their speedy recovery.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to Aliyev for the loss of life, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
The image shows rescuers crawling towards the crashed plane in search of survivors.
‘Unfortunately, Azerbaijan’s President Aliyev was forced to leave St. Petersburg (where he held a summit). “Putin already called him and expressed his condolences for the crash of the Azerbaijani plane in Aktau,” Peskov said.
“We deeply sympathize with those who lost their family and friends in this plane crash and wish a speedy recovery to all those who managed to survive.”
Aktau residents have been asked to donate blood for survivors.
Kazakh authorities said a government commission had been created to investigate what happened and its members were ordered to fly to the scene and ensure that the families of the dead and injured received the help they needed.
Kazakhstan will cooperate with Azerbaijan in the investigation, the government said.
Grozny, the destination, is the capital of the Chechen Republic, a Russian region controlled by Ramzan Kadyrov, an ally of Vladimir Putin, who regularly sends troops to fight the war against Ukraine.