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Akbar Novruz

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Even after the publication of the preliminary report by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport on the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane on December 25, 2024, the Russian side continues its biased approach to the incident, attempting to shift responsibility away from itself.

According to the report, the Embraer 190-100 IGW aircraft, registered as 4K-AZ65 and operating flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grozny, lost GPS signals while in Russian airspace, including over Grozny airport. The aircraft attempted to land in Grozny but was unable to do so due to unfavorable weather conditions. After the second failed attempt, the captain decided to return to Baku. However, cockpit voice recordings captured two distinct external sounds over Grozny, 24 seconds apart.

Following the first sound, the aircraft’s third hydraulic system failed after four seconds, the first hydraulic system failed after six seconds, and the second hydraulic system failed after 21 seconds. This led to the loss of the aircraft’s main control systems at 05:13:32. Eight minutes later, at 05:21:42, the coordinating dispatcher in Grozny activated the operation “Kover” (Carpet).

Photographs and video footage included in the preliminary report show numerous penetrating and blind damages to the fuselage, particularly in the rear section, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, left-wing, and left engine. The report confirms that these damages were caused by the impact of foreign objects and does not mention any evidence of a bird strike. Additionally, foreign objects that did not belong to the aircraft were discovered in the damaged areas and removed for further analysis.

Despite these findings, Russian aviation authorities, particularly "Rosaviatsia," continue to make baseless statements to evade responsibility. The Russian media has also been actively disseminating misleading narratives, attempting to create a false version of events similar to the case of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which was shot down over Ukraine in 2014. Just as Russia refused to accept responsibility for that incident, it now seeks to cover up the truth behind the AZAL plane crash.

Further investigation indicates that the attack on the Azerbaijani aircraft originated from a military unit in Khankala, near Grozny. Azerbaijani sources have confirmed that the aircraft was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system. A high-ranking Azerbaijani government official told Reuters that fragments of a Pantsir-S missile were recovered from the aircraft and identified through international forensic analysis, providing undeniable evidence that the plane was shot down by Russian forces.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, Russia continues to deny responsibility and attempts to shift the blame onto the flight crew. However, in addition to Kazakhstan, experts from Azerbaijan, Russia, and the aircraft’s manufacturing country, Brazil, are participating in the investigation, meaning that Russia is fully aware of the facts presented in the preliminary report.

Azerbaijan has made its position clear: it possesses conclusive evidence, including missile fragments, proving that the plane was deliberately targeted. If Russia refuses to acknowledge its role in the incident, Baku is prepared to take the matter to an international court. However, Azerbaijan remains open to dialogue, but Moscow must take full responsibility for the attack.

It is important to note that on December 25, 2024, an AZAL passenger plane crashed near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan. As a result of the accident, 38 people lost their lives and 29 were injured.