White House Spokesperson Says Russia Was Involved In Azerbaijan Plane Crash

Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed. (Doc. X/@MariamRobly)

JAKARTA - The United States government revealed initial indications that Russia may be the party that could be held accountable for the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane on December 25, which killed 38 people.

White House spokesman John Kirby, reported by the BBC on Saturday, December 28, stated that the US had offered assistance in the investigation of the crash. However, he did not provide further details. Based on preliminary information, the plane was suspected of being the target of a Russian air defense system when it tried to land in the Chechen region. After failing to land, the plane was diverted to Kazakhstan, but crashed there.

The Kremlin declined to comment on this incident. However, the head of Russia's Civil Aviation Agency said the situation in Chechnya was "very complicated" due to drone attacks from Ukraine in the region.

Meanwhile, according to aviation experts and Azerbaijanan officials, the aircraft's GPS system was likely disrupted by electronic disruptive equipment, before it was eventually damaged by Russian air defense missile debris. Photos of damage to widely circulated aircraft confirm the allegation of missile attacks.

Then the Transport Minister of Azerbaijan Rashad Nabiyev also revealed that the plane experienced "interference external" and damage to the inside and outside while trying to land.

"All the survivors without exception heard three explosions while the plane was aboard Grozny," Nabiyev said.

The investigative team is now focused on examining the types of weapons or missiles used in this incident. Although Azerbaijan has not directly accused Russia, comments from top officials show the involvement of external parties in this tragedy.

This incident further strained relations between Russia and countries in the region, and raised international attention to aviation security in the conflict zone.