Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash: recording of Russian giving order to open fire is published – photo, video
Azerbaijani journalists have released a recording that contains an order to open fire on an Azerbaijan Airlines flight, which resulted in the plane crash-landing near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on 25 December.
Source: Minval Politika, an Azerbaijani Russian-language information and analytical portal, as reported by European Pravda
Details: The journalists stated that their editorial office received an anonymous letter containing materials about the aircraft, which was shot down as it approached the Russian city of Grozny.
The letter contains what is reported to be an explanatory note from an air defence system commander, Captain Dmitry Paladychuk, who claims the aircraft was engaged under orders from the Russian Defence Ministry.
Minval Politika also received video footage, audio recordings, and information about the poor condition of the equipment.
Quote from the letter: "At 08:13:30, I gave the command to fire on the target. At 08:13:33, a missile was launched from the guide rail. At 08:13:47, the BM-72V6 central computer system issued a notification that the target had been missed. At 08:13:48, I gave the command to fire again."
Details: The journalists also released an excerpt from what is purported to be an audio recording, in which a male voice gives coordinates that match those in the written report, followed by the command "Fire! I said fire!"
An explosion is heard. Then, upon being informed that the target was missed, the same man says: "Again! One more time!"
The journalists have not released the full recordings, as they have yet to be examined by the investigative authorities. They emphasise that they cannot verify the authenticity of the letter, although it bears the captain’s signature. However, the audio recordings are considered fairly credible, as the information they contain corresponds closely.
Background:
- On 25 December, an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer aircraft en route from Baku to Grozny crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on the Caspian Sea, killing 38 people.
- Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev stated at the time that the plane had been shot down from the ground. He also said Russia should acknowledge its responsibility, issue a timely apology to Azerbaijan – a country considered a friend – and make a public statement to that effect.
- Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan's Minister of Digital Development and Transport, said that eyewitness testimonies and puncture marks on the plane's fuselage indicated external interference, and the exact type of weapon used would be determined in an investigation.
- On 4 February, a source within Azerbaijan's government told Reuters that they had conclusive evidence that the plane was downed by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system.
- On the same day, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport released a report containing its preliminary findings on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash. The initial examination of the aircraft debris revealed multiple punctures and non-puncture damage of various shapes and sizes across the aircraft's tail section, vertical stabiliser, horizontal stabilisers and rudders.
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