Kazakhstan withholds cause of Aktau plane crash as investigation continues

Kazakhstan’s authorities have refrained from confirming any specific cause for the recent plane crash near Aktau, with an official investigation still underway.

In a briefing Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev stated that while the investigation is ongoing, no official conclusions have been reached regarding the cause of the crash, Caliber.Az reports via Kazakh media.

"When we receive a conclusion, whether the aircraft collided with a bird or experienced an internal explosion, the investigation will be able to draw definitive conclusions," Bozumbayev said.

The Deputy Prime Minister further clarified that media speculation, which has been based on unofficial sources, is premature.

He added that Kazakhstan remains in close contact with authorities in Azerbaijan but has not yet received any official statements from either Azerbaijan or Russia regarding the incident.

At this stage, Bozumbayev emphasized that no cause has been ruled out, and any definitive claims would be premature until the investigation concludes.

However, earlier, Caliber.Az has reported that, according to reliable sources, Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft en route from Baku to Grozny was attacked by Russia's Pantsir-S air defence system while approaching Grozny.

The incident, which involved Russian electronic warfare systems, caused the aircraft's communication systems to fail, making it disappear from radar before reappearing over the Caspian Sea. Russian sources confirm air defence systems were targeting Ukrainian drones in the area, but the failure to close airspace raises questions. 

The aircraft was denied landing at Grozny, Makhachkala, and Mineralnye Vody airports before being diverted to Aktau, Kazakhstan. Video evidence suggests passengers were injured by shrapnel, and eyewitnesses report explosions outside the plane. Azerbaijan is calling for Russia to take responsibility, issue an apology, and conduct a full investigation.

By Aghakazim Guliyev