AnewZ Exclusive: Preliminary Investigation Confirms Russian Missile Over Grozny Caused Aktau Crash

AnewZ has learned from Azerbaijani government sources that the preliminary results of the investigation revealed that an Azerbaijani Airlines plane traveling on the Baku-Grozny route was attacked on its approach to the city of Grozny by the Russian Pantsir-S air defense system.

Moreover, as a result of the use of electronic warfare systems by the Russian side, the communication system of the Azerbaijani aircraft was completely paralyzed.  It was with this circumstance that the plane disappeared from radars in the Russian airspace, and was restored only in the area of the Caspian Sea. 

It should be noted that according to Russian sources, at the time of the flight over the territory of Chechnya, Russian air defense forces tried to shoot down Ukrainian UAVs. Thus, the head of the Security Council of the Chechen Republic, Khamzat Kadyrov, confirmed the fact of a drone attack on Grozny on the morning of December 25, noting that there were no casualties or damage. In such a case, the Russian side was obliged to close its airspace to civilian aircraft, which, however, was not done. 

As is known, the airport in Grozny did not give permission for the plane to land. Moreover, our flight was also not given permission to land at the airports in Makhachkala and Mineralnye Vody. The disoriented crew of the flight, which was subjected to air defense fire and electronic warfare systems, was recommended to land in the Kazakh city of Aktau. Presumably, this recommendation was given for one purpose: for the plane to fall into the Caspian Sea, all witnesses would be killed and the plane would sink. 

The alternative versions that are being circulated in the Russian media are purposeful innuendo to mislead public opinion.  Video footage from the cabin of the plane shows that two passengers were injured by shrapnel. All testimonies, including those concerning explosions heard overboard, point to the work of air defenses. 

For the Azerbaijani side, the situation is absolutely obvious. No one claims that it was done purposefully. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft, and to conduct a full investigation, which will result in bringing to justice all those responsible.

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