EGN NEWS DESK
The U.S. has seen “some early indications” of doable Russian involvement within the Christmas Day crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines airplane that killed 38 individuals, the White House stated.
American officers “have seen some early indications that will surely level to the likelihood that this jet was introduced down by Russian air protection methods,” White House National Security spokesman John Kirby instructed reporters on Friday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, whereas not commenting on the reason for crash, apologized to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that the “tragic incident” that led to the airliner’s downing occurred over Russian territory, the Kremlin stated in an announcement on Saturday.
“Vladimir Putin apologized for the truth that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace and as soon as once more expressed his deep and honest condolences to the households of the victims,” the Kremlin stated.
Kirby stated the U.S. has provided its help within the investigation of the crash, however he wouldn’t remark additional.
Azerbaijan’s Transport Minister Rashan Nabiyev stated on Friday that the witness testimonies and particles level to exterior interference with the plane.
The civilian airliner was flying on Wednesday from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in Russia’s Chechen Republic. After passengers reported listening to a blast, the airplane diverted a whole lot of kilometers from its route and crashed close to town of Aktau in Kazakhstan, killing 38. There had been 29 survivors.
Several media studies, together with by Reuters, Russian unbiased information outlet Meduza, and Azerbaijan’s Caliber information company, declare the passenger jet was broken by a Russian air protection missile in an space the place Moscow has been concentrating on Ukrainian drones in latest weeks.
Dmitry Yadrov, head of the Russian aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia, stated the airplane couldn’t land at Grozny airport due to fog and Ukrainian drones. “The scenario round Grozny airport on the time was very tough, with Ukrainian fight drones attacking civilian infrastructure in Grozny and Vladikavkaz,” Yadrov stated in a video assertion printed by state information company TASS.
He added that the pilot determined to fly to Aktau regardless of being provided touchdown at different Russian airports.
That model of occasions considerably differs from the one reported by Azerbaijan’s Caliber media outlet, citing Azerbaijani officers, which stated the plane was refused permission to land at three close by Russian airports regardless of submitting an emergency request, and was as an alternative ordered to fly throughout the Caspian Sea.
If it’s confirmed that the airplane was mistakenly downed by Russia, the incident will echo the Malaysia Airlines catastrophe of 2014 by which a airplane flying over the Donbas area of Ukraine was shot down by a Russian missile, killing all 298 individuals on board. A Dutch courtroom discovered two Russian brokers and a separatist chief responsible of the crime in absentia.
Gabriel Gavin contributed to this report.
