The early findings led the carrier to suspend flights to five Russian airports, citing "potential risks to flight safety", adding to the two routes that were suspended immediately after the crash.
The plane was flying from the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to the Russian city of Grozny in Chechnya when it crashed in a field near Aktau in Kazakhstan, hundreds of miles off its planned route. Twenty-nine people survived.
Yesterday the head of Russia's civil aviation agency said the aircraft had tried to land in Grozny as the region was under attack by Ukrainian drones. "Ukrainian military drones were carrying out terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure at the time," Dmitry Yadrov said on Telegram, adding that the plane had made two unsuccessful attempts to land.
At the time there was also heavy fog over Grozny, he said. He described the conditions as "very complicated", adding: "The pilot was offered alternative airports. He took the decision to go to Aktau airport."
This story is from the December 28, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the December 28, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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