Kazakhstan plane crash prompts missile speculation and arrest
On Wednesday, a tragic crash involving an Embraer-190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines occurred in western Kazakhstan. Preliminary information suggests that the cause might have been a surface-to-air missile explosion. The incident has triggered a wave of speculation and uncertainty concerning the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The catastrophe happened during the flight from Baku to Grozny. According to Euronews, a surface-to-air missile was launched by the Russian air defence system, which at the time was repelling an attack by Ukrainian drones.
According to the news portal wiadomosci.dziennik.pl, the missile explosion near the aircraft could have resulted in damage to the plane by shrapnel. There were a total of 67 people on board, of whom 38 were killed.
Reports from Azerbaijani government sources indicate that the damaged aircraft was not granted permission for an emergency landing in Russia and was redirected to Aktau in Kazakhstan, where it crashed during the landing attempt.
Experts question the initial version of events
Initially, it was reported that the plane collided with a flock of birds, causing a control system failure. The aircraft was diverted from Grozny to Makhachkala but was ultimately redirected over the Caspian Sea towards Aktau. This narrative has faced criticism.
As reported by the service wiadomosci.dziennik.pl, military analyst Jan Matwiejew emphasises that at the time of the incident, the Russian Pantsir-S1 system was firing at drones over Chechnya.
The shrapnel marks on the side of the plane do not indicate it was directly hit by Pantsir-S1; they are too small. It is more likely that such a missile exploded at some distance from the aircraft, and (the plane) was damaged by shrapnel, which caused it to lose control – he said.
Uncertainties surrounding the landing decision
The decision to direct the damaged plane to Aktau raises further questions. According to eyewitness accounts, the crew repeatedly requested an emergency landing on Russian territory but were denied. The reason was reportedly heavy fog over Grozny, although this raises doubts among experts.
Meanwhile, videos that surfaced on social media show injuries among some passengers even before the crash. According to specialists, this may indicate the action of missile shrapnel entering the cabin.
Controversial images and repression against witnesses
The opposition TV station Nastojaszczeje Wriemia published photos of the interior of the plane and footage from the crash site. The images show damaged parts of the aircraft and passengers with visible injuries.
The news portal wiadomosci.dziennik.pl reports that shortly after publication, Kazakh authorities called these speculations "unsubstantiated." Additionally, blogger Azamat Sarsenbayev, who was filming the scene for the BBC and Reuters, was detained. The blogger was sentenced to 10 days in detention for not complying with police orders.
Many questions remain unanswered
The Kazakh authorities reject speculation about the plane being shot at, but photos and eyewitness accounts raise doubts about the official versions of events. Experts agree that a full explanation of the crash requires a thorough and independent investigation.
It's also strange that the plane's crew was denied landing at both Grozny (allegedly due to fog) and Makhachkala, but redirected to Aktau – emphasised the military expert in a report by Nastojaszczeje Wriemia.
