Russia has cautioned against speculating about its air defenses potentially causing the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that it’s essential to wait for the end of the probe before casting any conclusions.
The Embraer 190, carrying 67 passengers from multiple countries, crashed on Wednesday in southwestern Kazakhstan. Speculation has fueled concerns about Russian forces accidentally firing at the plane, which was heading to Grozny in Chechnya. The area where the plane went down is near sites frequently used for Ukrainian drone strikes.
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport is working with Azerbaijan, Brazilian experts, and Embraer to investigate the incident. A preliminary investigation has reported that Russian air defense systems may have contributed to the crash. Meanwhile, global flight tracking service Flightradar24 stated that the plane experienced GPS jamming near Grozny. The cause remains unclear, with some reports suggesting a bird strike or an oxygen cylinder explosion on board.
Source: https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5056523-russia-azerbaijan-airlines-crash