Baku: Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has raised questions regarding the circumstances surrounding the crash of an Embraer 190 passenger plane, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC, which was on its way from Baku to Grozny. The President disclosed that the aircraft was damaged by fire from the ground, during a meeting with the families of the crew members who lost their lives in the crash, as well as the surviving flight attendants.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, President Aliyev stated that the process of opening the black boxes has commenced in Brazil, a decision made to ensure objectivity, given concerns about a potential conflict of interest with the Interstate Aviation Committee. Representatives from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia are involved in the analysis of the black boxes, with findings expected to be revealed soon. Aliyev highlighted the clear issues identified so far, including that the plane became uncontrollable due to electronic warfare equipment and was damaged by ground fire. However, the reason for the plane’s diversion to Aktau remains unclear, with questions about whether this was a directive from local dispatchers or a decision made by the pilots themselves to avoid Russian airspace. The President emphasized that these uncertainties would be addressed once the black box information is fully analyzed.