Russian military linked to AZAL plane crash near Aktau in anonymous letter - Media
Photo: Aftermath of the plane crash near Aktau (Getty Images)
Azerbaijani media received anonymous materials that may confirm the involvement of Russian forces in the crash of the AZAL flight near the Kazakh city of Aktau, informs Minval.az.
The editorial team at Minval.az received an anonymous letter containing materials related to the plane shot down near Grozny. The letter included:
- An explanatory note from air defense calculation captain Dmitry Paladichuk, who claims that fire was opened following orders from the Ministry of Defense of Russia;
- Videos, audio recordings, and details about the improper condition of the equipment.
Photo: Explanatory note (minval.az)
"At 08:13:30, I gave the command to engage to the operator. At 08:13:33, the missile was launched. At 08:13:47, the BM-72V6 control system issued a message that the target was missed. At 08:13:48, I gave the command to fire again," the explanatory note reads.
In the published fragment of a probable audio recording, a male voice provides coordinates matching the explanatory note. The voice orders to open fire and to do it "again, one more time."
"We do not claim the authenticity of this letter, despite it being signed by a captain. However, the mere existence of the letter and the significance of this document for the ongoing investigation, which has lasted for six months, as well as for the public, compel us to publish it," Minval.az writes.
Crash near Aktau
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash occurred on December 25, 2024. Thirty-eight people died as a result. Dozens more passengers were injured and hospitalized.
According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation, the plane was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile system (SAM) because the Russians did not close the airspace over Grozny during a drone attack on the city.
More details on the crash are available in the RBC-Ukraine report.
