'Ukrainian military was carrying out terrorist attacks when Azerbaijani flight tried to land': Russia claims

Russia on Friday claimed that Ukrainian drones were attacking the city of Grozny as an Azerbaijani Airlines plane attempted to land, before its subsequent crash in Kazakhstan.

Chief of Russia's civil aviation authority Dmitry Yadrov via Telegram noted that severe fog enveloped Grozny during the plane crash incident, stating that "conditions that day and in those hours around the airport were very complicated".

The Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft crashed in western Kazakhstan, resulting in the death of 38 amongst the 67 occupants. Various news sources have reported Azerbaijani officials suggesting that a Russian air defence missile might have caused the incident, AFP reported.

"Ukrainian military drones were carrying out terrorist attacks on civilian infrastructure... at the time," Yadrov said, adding that the plane made two unsuccessful attempts to land.

"The pilot was offered alternative airports. He took the decision to go to Aktau airport" in Kazakhstan, he said.

Yadrov additionally reported that Grozny airport ceased operations due to Ukrainian drone activity, though he did not specify the timing of this closure.

Meanwhile, Ukraine said that Russia 'must be held responsible' for Azerbaijan plane crash. "Russia must be held responsible for the downing of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane. Condolences to the relatives of the victims," presidential chief of staff Andriy Yermak said on social media.

Amid the blame game between Russia and Ukraine, Azerbaijan's flag carrier announced that it will suspend flights to several Russian airports, citing potential flight safety risks after a crash of one of its planes that many experts blamed on Russian air defence fire.

In the Kazakh accident the authorities got a breakthrough as they recovered a second black box at the crash site, Kazinform reported on Thursday.

Authorities anticipate crucial information from these devices, with analysis expected to take approximately two weeks, according to Bozumbayev.

On Thursday, transport minister Marat Karabayev revealed that Russian controllers notified Kazakh authorities about the flight's diversion 45 minutes before the crash, CNN reported.

Karabayev reported that Russian controllers cited control system failures, with the crew choosing Aktau after receiving weather reports. Controllers later reported an "oxygen tank exploded in the passenger cabin, causing passengers to lose consciousness".

The aircraft attempted two approaches at Aktau before deviating from its path and losing communication prior to crashing, according to Karabayev.

Flightradar24 reported the aircraft encountered GPS interference near Grozny, noting that such disruption can compromise navigation and communication capabilities. Their analysis of crash data and footage suggests potential aircraft control issues.