US finds ‘early indications’ of Russian involvement in Azerbaijani jet crash

The US has mentioned there are “early indications” that Russian air defence techniques struck an Azerbaijani aircraft this week, the most recent signal of Moscow’s potential involvement within the lethal crash.

“We . . . have seen some early indications that will surely level to the chance that this jet was introduced down by Russian air defence techniques,” John Kirby, US Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson, mentioned on Friday.

Washington provided its help to the joint Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan investigation “ought to they need it”, Kirby added.

Kirby’s evaluation on Friday got here after Azerbaijan’s transport minister Rashad Nabiyev mentioned Azerbaijani investigators gathered proof that pointed to “exterior interference” with the plane.

“Injured passengers and surviving flight attendants mentioned that they heard an explosion after they have been over Grozny,” Nabiyev mentioned, including that there was video proof of a flight attendant and a passenger sustaining accidents to their legs and arms.

The Kazakh nationwide airline, Qazaq Air, on Friday mentioned it suspended its Astana to Ekaterinburg route, in keeping with the Kazinform information company, whereas Azerbaijan Airways suspended flights to seven cities within the south of Russia.

The measures have been taken after an Azerbaijan Airways flight from Baku to Russia’s regional capital, Grozny, was diverted throughout the Caspian Sea and crash-landed close to Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 individuals on board.

Video of the fuselage of the crashed plane has proven a number of puncture marks according to hearth from an anti-aircraft system. There’s additionally proof that Russia was jamming the GPS navigation system close to Grozny on the time, apparently to defend towards an assault by Ukrainian drones.

One early idea pointed to an explosion on board the aircraft. However Nabiyev mentioned witness testimony prompt in any other case.

“Injured Russian residents additionally reported listening to three explosions over Grozny. Based on them, the sounds of the explosions have been heard from outdoors, after which one thing hit the aircraft,” the minister mentioned.

He added Azerbaijani officers on the scene inspected the physique of the plane, additionally pointing to an exterior affect. “Harm to the fuselage and traces of shrapnel have been recorded contained in the plane.”

Qazaq Air mentioned it was suspending flights to Ekaterinburg till January 27 pending an “ongoing danger evaluation” of flights to Russia. Azerbaijan Airways mentioned it halted flights to Grozny and different southern Russian cities till completion of an investigation into the crash.

Israel’s flag-carrier, El Al, on Thursday additionally introduced it was suspending flights from Tel Aviv to Moscow pending a security evaluation.

Russia had insisted the plane was unable to land in Grozny due to heavy fog and the plane had hit a flock of birds. Native authorities in Russia’s close by North Ossetia area introduced an assault by Ukrainian drones. However the Kommersant newspaper reported there was no “heavy fog” forecast for Grozny on the time.

The top of Russia’s Rosaviatsia aviation company, Dmitry Yadrov, on Thursday mentioned the situations round Grozny had been “very troublesome” amid assaults from Ukrainian fight drones. The Kremlin declined to touch upon the reason for the crash.

Andrew Nicholson, chief government of Osprey Flight Options, an aviation safety advisory firm, mentioned preliminary reviews indicated the crashed plane was “misidentified and subsequently engaged by Russian air defence techniques”.

The incident has invoked comparisons with Malaysia Airways flight MH17 being shot down over Ukraine in 2014. An investigation concluded that crash, which killed all 298 individuals on board, was the results of Russia-controlled fighters in jap Ukraine firing an air defence missile.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned “clear visible proof on the crash website factors to Russia’s duty for the tragedy” including that if Moscow “unfold lies in the identical method that it did” within the case of MH17, the worldwide neighborhood needed to react.

A joint investigation is being carried out by Azerbaijani, Kazakh and Russian officers. The plane kind concerned — an Embraer-190 regional jet — was beforehand considered one of many world’s most secure civil plane.

Senior US and Ukrainian officers have additionally pointed to a Russian anti-aircraft system. If this was the case, the incident would additional underscore Moscow’s recklessness since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a US official added.

Rasim Musabekov, a member of Azerbaijan’s parliament, has known as for Russia to apologise.

“The aircraft was shot down in Russian territory, within the skies over Grozny, and this can’t be denied,” Musabekov informed the Turan information company. “That is how civilised relations work. If air defence techniques are lively, the airport must be closed, and warnings must be issued to stop flights to the world.”

The crash has strained relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, with Kazakhstan “caught between” the 2, mentioned Temur Umarov, a fellow at Carnegie Russia Eurasia Heart. “The one viable technique for Kazakhstan is to keep up neutrality,” which might show more and more troublesome if Moscow and Baku are at loggerheads, he mentioned.

The incident “will clearly set off a disaster between Baku and Moscow”, mentioned Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Research Heart, a Yerevan-based think-tank.

The incident comes after Baku’s takeover of the Nagorno-Karabakh area final yr. That annexation undermined the authority of Russian peacekeepers deployed there, marking a turning level in Russia’s waning affect within the South Caucasus.

“Azerbaijan’s justified anger and outrage at Russia can be extra overconfident and emboldened to push Moscow even more durable,” Giragosian added. “The clear loser within the South Caucasus can be Russian energy and status.”

Cartography by Steven Bernard