Russian Aviation Watchdog: Azerbaijan Plane That Crashed Changes Routes Due To Thick Fog And Ukrainian Drone Warning

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Russian aviation watchdogs said Azerbaijan Airlines, which crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday (25/12), decided to change routes from its original destination in Chechnya amid thick fog and local warnings about Ukrainian drones.

Rosaviatsia, the supervisor, said the plane captain had been offered another airport landing, but chose Aktau in Kazakhstan.

Russian aviation watchdogs are committed to providing comprehensive support for the Kazakh and Azerbaijan investigations investigating the crash.

Russia said it was important to wait for the investigation to complete to understand what happened. Four Azerbaijanan sources told Reuters on Thursday the plane was attacked by Russian air defenses.

As previously reported, Russia's electronic warfare and air defense system is said to have been behind the crash of an aircraft fleet belonging to Azerbaijan Airlines in Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

Azerbaijan Airlines' Embraer 190 aircraft with flight number J2-8243 and registration 4K-AZ65 carrying 62 passengers and five crew, are on their way from Baku, Azerbaijan to Grozny, Russia when it crashed last Wednesday near Aktau City, Kazakhstan.

The plane is said to have crashed after turning from southern Russia, where Moscow has repeatedly used its air defense system against Ukrainian drone attacks.

The plane turned hundreds of miles across the Kaspia Sea, before crashing on the coast across the Kaspia Sea after what Russian aviation watchdogs said was an emergency that may have been caused by a bird strike.

Officials did not explain why the plane crossed the sea. Russia's closest airport on the plane's flight path, Makhachkala, closed on Wednesday morning.

Footage recorded by passengers on the plane before falling showed an oxygen mask removed and people wearing life vests. Subsequent footage shows bleeding passengers and bruises getting out of the plane. There were 29 survivors.

One of Azerbaijan's sources familiar with Azerbaijan's investigation into the crash told Reuters preliminary results showed the plane was hit by Russia's Pantsir-S air defense system. Its communication was paralyzed by the electronic warfare system as it approached Grozny, the source said.

"No one claims that it was done on purpose. However, taking into account the facts, Baku hopes that the Russian side will recognize the shooting of the Azerbaijani plane crash," the source said.