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Azerbaijan Airlines says the preliminary results of an probe into the clang of its level successful Kazakhstan connected 25 December person blamed "physical and method outer interference".
Thirty-eight radical died erstwhile the Embraer pitchy came down astatine precocious speed, bursting into flames 3km (1.9 miles) abbreviated of the runway astatine Aktau airport.
The level had primitively tried to onshore astatine Grozny airdrome successful confederate Russia, but witnesses person spoken of an detonation earlier it was diverted crossed the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan.
The caput of Russia's civilian aviation bureau said connected Friday that the concern successful the Chechen superior was "very complicated" and that a closed-skies protocol had been enactment successful place.
"Ukrainian combat drones were launching violent attacks connected civilian infrastructure successful the cities of Grozny and Vladikavkaz," said Dmitry Yadrov, caput of Rosaviatsia, successful a video connection posted connected Russia's Tass quality agency.
"Because of this a 'Carpet plan' was introduced successful the country of Grozny airport, providing for the contiguous departure of each craft from the specified area," helium said. "In addition, determination was dense fog successful the country of Grozny airport."
Azerbaijan Airlines did not item the carnal and method interference, and the authorities successful Baku has avoided straight accusing Russia, perchance to debar antagonising President Vladimir Putin.
However, aviation experts and pro-government media successful Azerbaijan judge the level was damaged by shrapnel from Russian air-defence rocket explosion.
"These are rocket fragments that damaged the hydraulic system. The plane's controls run based connected hydraulics," seasoned Azerbaijani aviator seasoned aviator Tahir Agaguliev told the BBC.
Flight attendant Zulfuqar Asadov who was among 29 survivors connected the crashed level told section media that the level was "hit by immoderate benignant of outer strike".
"The interaction of it caused panic inside. We tried to calm them down, to get them seated. At that moment, determination was different strike, and my limb was injured."
In a societal media post, Azerbaijan Airlines said it was suspending flights to 7 Russian cities successful effect to the clang "for information reasons".
It had already halted flights to Grozny and Makhachkala successful neighbouring Dagestan, but has present added the cities of Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa, Samara and Mineralnye Vody.
Israel's flagship airline, El Al, has meantime suspended each flights to Moscow, citing developments successful Russian airspace.
Ukrainian statesmanlike spokesperson Andriy Yermak has said Russia indispensable beryllium held liable for the crash.
The Kremlin has refused to remark connected reports that the Azerbaijan Airlines level was deed by Russian aerial defence.
"An probe into this aviation incidental is underway and until the conclusions are made arsenic a effect of the investigation, we bash not see ourselves entitled to springiness immoderate assessments," said spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.
Vigils person been held successful Azerbaijan to honour the pilots, who are credited with redeeming lives by managing to onshore portion of the plane, contempt themselves being killed successful the crash.
Kazakh authorities person been treating the injured and moving intimately with Azerbaijan connected the investigation. However, they person refused to springiness details of their clang investigation.
Reports successful Baku suggest some Russia and Kazakhstan projected having a committee from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - a determination organisation dominated by Russia - analyse the crash, but Azerbaijan had alternatively demanded an planetary enquiry alternatively than 1 involving erstwhile Soviet countries.
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