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According to Russian independent media outlet Meduza, footage of the plane shows traces of a large surface-to-air missile impact on the tail section of the plane.
A drone view shows emergency specialists working at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
An Azerbaijani airliner, which crashed in southwestern Kazakhstan and killed at least 38 passengers, may have been shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile, international reports stated.
Even as Russia’s aviation watchdog said that preliminary information suggested the pilot had decided to make an emergency landing after a bird strike, officials did not immediately explain why the plane had crossed the sea.
According to CNN, the crash came shortly after drone strikes hit southern Russia. The media house mentioned that the drone activity has shut airports in the area in the past and the nearest Russian airport on the plane’s flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.
A report by the Wall Street Journal cited an alert to airlines by UK-based independent aviation security firm, Osprey Flight Solutions, which stated that the flight “was likely shot down by a Russian military air-defence system.”
“Video of the wreckage and the circumstances around the airspace security environment in southwest Russia indicates the possibility the aircraft was hit by some form of antiaircraft fire,” Matt Borie, the chief intelligence officer of the firm was quoted as saying in an interview.
According to Russian independent media outlet Meduza, footage of the plane shows traces of a large surface-to-air missile impact on the tail section of the plane.
Similar-looking holes in the fuselage have reportedly been documented in numerous images and videos of military and civilian aircraft downed by surface-to-air missiles, The Kyiv Independent stated.
On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it would be wrong to speculate about the cause of the plane crash before an investigation had been carried out, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti.
Embraer, a Brazilian manufacturer, said in a statement it is closely monitoring the situation and “we remain fully committed to supporting the relevant authorities.”
Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 was traveling from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in the Russian region of Chechnya before it made an emergency landing approximately 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Aktau, the carrier said.
Footage from the crash site captured the moment dazed survivors emerged from the charred plane. All of the survivors have been taken to hospitals, Kazakh authorities said earlier.
“The bodies are in poor condition, mostly burnt, all collected,” Bozumbayev said. “Now they will be in the morgue, and identification will take place.”
There is only one survivor whose identity remains unknown, according to Bozumbayev. “She is unconscious, has no documents, and is in the hospital,” he added.