The Russian government has urged the public to refrain from advancing unproven “hypotheses” regarding the cause of the plane crash that claimed the lives of 38 people in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. In a bid to ensure the integrity of the investigation, officials cautioned against early conclusions, stressing that a comprehensive inquiry must take its course before any definitive statements are made.
Several aviation specialists have raised the possibility that the Azerbaijan Airlines plane was targeted by air defense systems while flying over Chechnya, a region within Russia. These assertions were further amplified by pro-government media in Azerbaijan, which cited official sources blaming a Russian missile for the incident. The emerging narrative has stirred controversy, complicating the ongoing investigation as different parties offer competing explanations for the tragedy.
Before it tragically came down near Aktau in Kazakhstan, the Azerbaijan Airlines plane was rerouted across the Caspian Sea, abandoning its initial destination in Chechnya in favor of a western Kazakhstan airstrip. The flight, carrying 67 people, ended in disaster, with 38 confirmed dead and 29 survivors.
In a solemn gesture of respect, Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning on Thursday, with the nation coming together to honor the lives lost in the crash.
“This is a great tragedy that has become a tremendous sorrow for the Azerbaijani people,” President Ilham Aliyev said on Thursday.
In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “It would be wrong to put forward any hypotheses before the investigation’s conclusions. We, of course, will not do this, and no-one should do this. We need to wait until the investigation is completed.”
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While the chief prosecutor in Kazakhstan assured that no conclusions had been drawn in the investigation, some commentators in Azerbaijani media have voiced the expectation that Russia will eventually acknowledge its role in downing the plane. This perspective has fueled a growing narrative within Azerbaijan, despite the fact that the investigation remains ongoing and no official statements have been made to confirm the allegations.
On Thursday, a number of state-controlled television channels in Azerbaijan began broadcasting interviews with experts who openly speculated about Russia’s potential involvement in the crash. This move to air such opinions highlights the increasing tension in the media, with the government allowing the possibility of attributing responsibility to Russia to be discussed more freely, despite the absence of conclusive evidence.
AnewZ channel said a preliminary investigation had concluded that the plane had been hit by shrapnel from a surface-to-air missile from Russia’s Pantsir-S defence system.
Another pro-government website, Caliber, quoted government sources as saying that no-one was claiming the plane had come under attack intentionally, but that Baku expected an apology from Russia.
