Azerbaijan is waiting for an official recognition from Russia that its Pantsir-S1 air defense system was involved in the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243, which killed 38 people. About this informs Reuters.
“No one claims that this was done on purpose. However, given the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to admit the downing of the Azerbaijani plane.”, says the message.
The plane, which was traveling from Baku to Grozny, changed its route, crossed the Caspian Sea and crashed near Aktau in Kazakhstan. A preliminary investigation showed that the plane was likely hit by debris from a missile fired by a Russian air defense system, and its communications systems were jammed by radio-electronic interference.
There were 67 people on board. Of these, 38 died and 29 survived, although most were seriously injured. The US and Canada called on Russia to ensure a transparent and open investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy. In a statement, the Canadian Foreign Ministry emphasized the need to “accept the conclusions of an independent investigation.”
The Kremlin is currently refraining from commenting. Press Secretary Dmytro Peskov emphasized that it is premature to draw any conclusions before the completion of the official investigation.
