Following the devastating crash of a passenger plane in Kazakhstan, in which 38 people died, Russia has closed airspace in the south of the country.
Azerbaijani reports are circulating that the plane was crashed by Russian air defense fire. The Kremlin remains silent. The Russian government simply said it was important to wait for the investigation into the plane crash to understand what happened, Russian news agency TASS reported.
On Friday, an Azerbaijan Airlines plane returned to Baku en route to the southern Russian city of Mineralnye Vody, TASS reported. The government in Moscow initially did not comment on Azerbaijani reports that the plane had crashed due to Russian air defense fire.
Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended flights to seven Russian cities
Russian news agency Interfax reported that Azerbaijan Airlines had suspended flights to seven Russian cities. The company continues to fly to six major Russian cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Baku leaks accusations
In an initial response, the Kremlin warned against premature speculation. However, on Thursday afternoon, the Azerbaijani leadership widely spread suspicions that the plane had been hit by a Russian Panzer-S anti-aircraft missile. Citing unnamed government officials in Baku, local and international media reported that the plane was damaged on approach to Grozny.
There was particular outrage in Azerbaijan when the plane was reportedly denied an emergency landing at nearby Russian airports due to bad weather. The pilots had to maneuver the almost impossible-to-control machine across the Caspian Sea to Aktau. The altitude and speed fluctuated considerably. The plane crashed while attempting to land in Aktau.
Memories of the downing of a Malaysian Boeing in 2014
If the version of a fatal miss by Russian air defenses is confirmed, this would be the second case since 2014. At that time, the Ukrainian army was fighting a secret Russian military operation in the east of the country, disguised as a separatist. revolt. On July 17, 2014, a Russian Buk anti-aircraft system accidentally shot down a Malaysia Airlines Boeing flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur over eastern Ukraine. 289 people died.
To this day, Moscow denies any responsibility for the tragedy and calls it Western insinuation. Journalistic research and investigations by the Dutch judiciary have clearly proven the route of the Buk system from Russia to the Ukrainian conflict zone and back. Three Russian officials were sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment by a court in the Netherlands in 2022.
How will the affected countries behave towards Moscow?
This time, however, the situation is different, partly because there are survivors as possible witnesses. The Netherlands, which was hit hardest in 2014, was considered a hostile Western country towards Russia. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are countries that Moscow considers allies.
Azerbaijan, which has grown rich from energy exports, is, like Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic, largely independent of Russia and also has a strong case to make against Moscow. Central Asian Kazakhstan, with a long border with Russia and a large Russian minority, must act more cautiously. The Kazakh authorities responsible for the crash investigation have so far made no statements about the cause.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
