Russia said on Friday that Ukraine was attacking Grozny with drones at the time of the crash. Various official sources have blamed the Russian air defense for the accident.
13:48•Updated 14:52
According to the preliminary investigation by Azerbaijan Airlines, Wednesday’s plane crash was caused by an “external physical and technical malfunction.”
The plane, which was on its way from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, crashed in the Aktau region of Kazakhstan on Christmas day. At least 38 people died in the accident.
On Thursday, Azerbaijani official sources blamed the downing of the plane on the Russian air defense. According to Euronews sources, the missile was fired at the aircraft during “active drone activity” observed in Russian territory. Fragments of the missile hit the plane when the missile exploded next to the plane mid-flight.
Russia, on the other hand, said on Friday that Ukraine was attacking Grozny with drones while the Azerbaijan Airlines plane was trying to land.
– Ukrainian military planes were carrying out terrorist attacks on civilian targets, head of the Russian Civil Aviation Agency Dmitry Yadrov says the messaging service Telegram.
Jadrov also says that there was heavy fog over Grozny at the time of the incident, and that “the conditions around the airport that day at that time were very complicated.
According to Jadrov, the plane tried to land twice until it turned towards Kazakhstan.
The head of the Aviation Agency adds that Grozny airport was temporarily closed to air traffic.
Passenger: At least one loud bang
A passenger who survived a plane crash Subhonkul Rakhimov tells the news agency Reuters that he heard at least one loud bang as the plane approached Grozny.
– I thought the plane would break into pieces, Rakhimov told Reuters at the hospital.
After this, the machine had started behaving strangely, says Rakhimov.
– Just as if it was drunk.
Sources: Reuters, AFP