(Adnkronos) – The airlines of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have announced the suspension of air connections with some airports in Russia after the Christmas Day plane crash involving the Azerbaijan Airlines flight from Baku to Grozny, which crashed a few kilometers from Aktau, probably after being hit by a Russian anti-aircraft missile and by the electronic jamming of GPS systems near the Chechen capital.
Qazaq Air has suspended the connection from Astana to Ekaterinburg until next January 27 and the completion of a “risk assessment” of flights in Russia, the Kazinform agency reported, while Azerbaijan Airlins has canceled flights to seven cities in southern Russia, including Grozny until the investigation into the Aktau tragedy is complete. Israeli El Al has also announced the suspension of flights between Tel Aviv and Moscow.
There were reportedly Ukrainian drone attacks on the Grozny area. Local authorities in North Ossetia announced the downing of a drone. A woman was killed. The director of the Russian aviation agency Rosaviatsia, Dmitry Yadrov, admitted “very difficult conditions” and the adoption of countermeasures in the area of Grozny airport “that day and at that time” due to Ukrainian drone attacks on civilian infrastructure in Grozny and Vladikavkaz. “All aircraft were ordered to leave the area” but the aircraft commander tried twice to land at Grozny. He had been offered other airports to land but decided to go to Aktau, he added. Kazakhstan has opened an investigation into the crash of the Embraer-190, in which officials from Azerbaijan and Russia are taking part.
