A representative of Ukraine said that the passenger plane of Azerbaijan Airlines that crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau yesterday was hit by Russian air defense, Ukrinform reported, BTA reported.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Combating Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, wrote this in the "Telegram" application, the Ukrainian news agency specifies.
"The "Embraer 190" of Azerbaijan Airlines, flying from Baku to Grozny, was hit by Russian air defenses," Kovalenko wrote, quoted by Ukrinform.
He criticized Russia for not closing the airspace over the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya - Grozny, which could have prevented the tragedy.
"The plane was damaged by the Russians and was directed towards Kazakhstan, instead of making an emergency landing in Grozny and thus saving lives," Kovalenko added. There were 67 people on board the plane, and according to initial information, 38 people died, Ukrinform explains.