KREMLIN REJECTS CLAIMS THAT RUSSIAN AIR DEFENCES DOWNED AZERBAIJAN AIRLINES FLIGHT

ISTANBUL, Dec 27 (Bernama-AA) -- Russia dismissed speculation that its air defences caused an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet to crash near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people, Anadolu Agency reported.

“It is wrong to build hypotheses before the conclusions of the investigation,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Thursday, emphasising the need for patience.

The flight was travelling from the Azerbaijani capital of Baku to the city of Grozny in the Russian Republic of Chechnya when it crashed 3 kilometres from Aktau, located on the Caspian Sea coast, with 67 people onboard.

Kazakh officials said 38 people were killed in the crash of the Embraer 190 aircraft while 29 survived.

Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan launched investigations into the accident.

Earlier Thursday, senior Azerbaijani officials confirmed to Anadolu that the crash was caused by a Russian missile system.

But Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, maintained that the crash was likely caused by a bird strike which forced the aircraft to divert to Aktau. The plane had departed Baku for Grozny but veered off course over the Caspian Sea before the crash.

Kazakh authorities and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev called for restraint in speculation, noting that bad weather may have played a role in the flight's diversion.

The crash occurred amid heightened activity of Russian air defences targeting Ukrainian drones in the region. Public flight data shows GPS jamming in the area, further fuelling questions. However, Peskov reiterated that conclusions must await the official investigation.

-- BERNAMA-AA