Ukrainian foreign minister does not rule out possibility that Russian tried to hide downing of Azerbaijani plane
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has suggested that Russia was trying to hide the traces of the downing of the Azerbaijani passenger plane in the sea and called for a fair investigation into the crash. He has expressed condolences to Azerbaijan.
"It is noteworthy that Russian media lied about the cause of the crash, and that Russia forced the damaged jet to cross the sea, most likely in an attempt to conceal evidence of their crime," Sybiha wrote on X (Twitter).
Sybiha emphasised that as more images and videos from the plane and after the disaster emerge, the more evidence that the plane was damaged by the Russian anti-aircraft missile system.
"We call for a fair and impartial investigation to ensure those responsible are held accountable. We must not allow Russia to lie, evade responsibility, or shift the blame," added the Foreign Minister.
On 25 December, an Embraer aircraft of Azerbaijan Airlines en route from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau (the administrative centre of Kazakhstan's Mangistau Oblast). According to Azerbaijan Airlines, 67 people were on board, including five crew members. Of these, 42 were citizens of Azerbaijan, 16 were Russians, 6 were Kazakhs, and 3 were Kyrgyz.
The KazAeroNavigation company believes that the crash was caused by a collision with a bird and a steering failure. Russian media outlets also do not rule out the possibility that the plane could have changed course due to the threat of a drone attack on Chechnya. Early reports indicate that Grozny was attacked by several UAVs at that moment, which led to the announcement of the Kovyor plan at the city's airport.
The crash killed 38 people, said Kanat Bozumbayev, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister and head of the state commission leading the investigation into the causes of the crash.
The Ukrainian Centre for Countering Disinformation said that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile system.