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The nationwide airways of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have suspended some flights to Russia after proof steered an Azerbaijani aircraft had been downed by Russian air defence programs.
The Kazakh airline, Qazaq Air, stated on Friday it suspended its Astana to Ekaterinburg route, in keeping with the Kazinform information company, whereas Azerbaijan Airways suspended flights to seven cities within the south of Russia.
The measures have been taken after an Azerbaijan Airways flight from Baku to Russia’s regional capital, Grozny, was diverted throughout the Caspian Sea and crash-landed close to Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 individuals on board.
Video of the fuselage of the crashed plane has proven a number of puncture marks in line with fireplace from an anti-aircraft system. There’s additionally proof that Russia was jamming the GPS navigation system close to Grozny on the time, apparently to defend towards an assault by Ukrainian drones.
Azerbaijan’s transport minister Rashad Nabiyev stated on Friday that proof gathered by Azerbaijani investigators pointed to “exterior interference” with the plane.
“Injured passengers and surviving flight attendants stated that they heard an explosion after they have been over Grozny,” Nabiyev stated, including that there was video proof of a flight attendant and a passenger sustaining accidents to their legs and arms.
One early concept pointed to an explosion on board the aircraft. However Nabiyev stated witness testimony steered in any other case.
“Injured Russian residents additionally reported listening to three explosions over Grozny. Based on them, the sounds of the explosions have been heard from outdoors, after which one thing hit the aircraft,” the minister instructed reporters.
He stated the Azerbaijani fee on the scene inspected the physique of the plane, additionally pointing to an exterior affect. “Harm to the fuselage and traces of shrapnel have been recorded contained in the plane.”
Qazaq Air stated it was suspending flights to Ekaterinburg till January 27 pending an “ongoing danger evaluation” of flights to Russia. Azerbaijan Airways stated it halted flights to Grozny and different southern Russian cities till completion of an investigation into the crash.
Israel’s flag-carrier, El Al, on Thursday additionally introduced it was suspending flights from Tel Aviv to Moscow pending a security evaluation.
Russia had insisted the plane was unable to land in Grozny due to heavy fog and that the plane had hit a flock of birds. Native authorities in Russia’s close by North Ossetia area introduced an assault by Ukrainian drones, certainly one of which was shot down, killing a lady on the bottom. However the Kommersant newspaper reported there was no “heavy fog” forecast for Grozny on the time.
The top of Russia’s Rosaviatsia aviation company, Dmitry Yadrov, on Thursday stated the situations round Grozny had been “very tough” amid assaults from Ukrainian fight drones. The Kremlin declined to touch upon the reason for the crash.
The incident has invoked comparisons with Malaysia Airways flight MH17 being shot down over Ukraine in 2014. An investigation concluded that crash, which killed all 298 individuals on board, was the results of the firing of an air defence missile by Russia-controlled fighters in japanese Ukraine.
A joint investigation is being carried out by Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Russian officers. The plane kind concerned — an Embraer-190 regional jet — was beforehand considered one of many world’s most secure civil plane.
Senior US and Ukrainian officers have additionally pointed to a Russian anti-aircraft system. Andriy Kovalenko, a Ukrainian nationwide safety and defence council official, posted on Telegram on Thursday that Russia ought to have closed the airspace over Grozny.
“The aircraft was broken by the Russians and despatched to Kazakhstan, as an alternative of constructing an emergency touchdown in Grozny and saving individuals’s lives,” he wrote.
Rasim Musabekov, a member of Azerbaijan’s parliament, has referred to as for Russia to apologise.
“The aircraft was shot down in Russian territory, within the skies over Grozny, and this can’t be denied,” Musabekov instructed the Turan information company. “That is how civilised relations work. If air defence programs are energetic, the airport must be closed, and warnings must be issued to stop flights to the realm.”
The aircraft crash “will clearly set off a disaster between Baku and Moscow”, stated Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Research Heart, a Yerevan-based think-tank.
He famous that the incident got here towards the backdrop of Azerbaijan’s struggle towards Armenia, which led to Baku’s takeover of the Nagorno-Karabakh area final 12 months. That annexation undermined the authority of Russian peacekeepers deployed there, marking a turning level in Russia’s waning affect within the South Caucasus.
“Azerbaijan’s justified anger and outrage at Russia shall be extra overconfident and emboldened to push Moscow even tougher,” Giragosian added. “The clear loser within the South Caucasus shall be Russian energy and status.”
Cartography by Steven Bernard
