The Azerbaijan Airlines flight that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday had been hit earlier by Russian air defences, according to Azerbaijani media and analysts.
The Embraer SA 190 crashed near the city of Aktau while attempting an emergency landing, killing 38 of the 65 passengers and crew on board. It had flown hundreds of kilometres off its scheduled route from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, in Russia's southern Chechnya region.
The plane was struck while approaching Grozny, Azerbaijan's government-backed Caliber news website reported, quoting unidentified government officials.
There was no official comment from the Azerbaijan's government.
Sources familiar with the Azerbaijani investigation into the crash told Reuters that preliminary results showed the plane was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system, and its communications were paralysed by electronic warfare systems on the approach into Grozny.
“No one claims that it was done on purpose. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft,” one of the sources was quoted as saying.
Aviation security firm Osprey Flight Solutions said in an alert to airlines on Wednesday that video of the wreckage and the circumstances around the air space in south-west Russia indicated the possibility that the airliner was hit by anti-aircraft fire.
Russia's Dagestan and Chechnya regions have been targeted by Ukrainian military drones this month, with Russian air defences activated in response, Osprey said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian Defence Ministry reported that 59 Ukrainian drones were brought down over several regions, it said.
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev told a media briefing on Wednesday that it was too soon to speculate on the reasons behind the crash, but said that the weather had forced the plane to deviate from its course.
“The information provided to me is that the plane changed its course between Baku and Grozny due to worsening weather and headed to Aktau airport, where it crashed upon landing,” he said.
Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation authority, said that preliminary information indicated that the pilots diverted to Aktau after a bird strike led to an emergency on board. Asked about the claims that the plane had been fired upon by Russian air defences, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “It would be wrong to make hypotheses before investigators make their verdict.”
National flags were lowered across Azerbaijan, traffic across the country stopped at noon, and horns sounded from ships and trains as the country observed a moment of silence.
According to Kazakh officials, those aboard the plane included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs and three Kyrgyzstan nationals. Russia's Emergencies Ministry on Thursday flew nine Russian survivors to Moscow for medical treatment.
Nato called for a full investigation into the cause of the crash.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and victims of Azerbaijan Airlines flight J28243,” Nato representative Farah Dakhlallah said on X.
“We wish those injured in the crash a speedy recovery and call for a full investigation.”
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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