Other international and local media also report similar versions of what happened, citing sources in Azerbaijan.
A Russian surface-to-air missile was fired while drones were flying over Grozny. The debris of the rocket injured passengers and crew members, exploding next to the plane, Euronews interlocutors said.
Despite the pilots’ pleas, the injured plane was not allowed to land at Russian airports, but was ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea in the direction of the Kazakh city of Aktau, sources said.
Citing “four sources in Azerbaijan familiar with the investigation”, the Reuters news agency says that the AZAL plane was shot down by a Russian air defense system.
On the other hand, the Azerbaijani publication “Caliber”, referring to “reliable government sources”, reports that the AZAL plane was shot down by the Pancir anti-aircraft defense system, which was used that day to repel a drone attack on Grozny.
“No one claims that it was done deliberately. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to admit to the downing of the Azerbaijani plane, officially apologize to the Azerbaijani people and conduct a general investigation, which will bring all the perpetrators to justice,” says “Caliber”. “.
Makhachkala and Mineralniy Vodi airports refused to accept the damaged plane, but Russian electronic warfare systems blocked its communications with the ground, “Caliber” sources said.
The plane was diverted to Aktau, hoping that it would not reach the territory of Kazakhstan and crash into the sea, taking all the witnesses with it, Caliber says.
It has already been reported that 38 people lost their lives when an Azerbaijani passenger plane crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday. There were a total of 67 passengers and crew members on board the flight from Baku to Grozny.