President of Russia Vladimir Putin said. a Ukrainian drone is allegedly to blame for the crash of the AZAL passenger plane in Kazakhstan.
He said this during a speech in the Kremlin, commenting on the circumstances of the tragedy.
«On the day of the AZAL tragedy, Russia was flying three Ukrainian drones that crossed the border of our country. One of them could have been near the plane's route,» Putin said.
According to him, Russian air defence forces allegedly opened fire, to neutralise the threat, however the missiles did not hit the aircraft directly, а exploded at a distance of several metres.
Statements of “assistance to the investigation”
Putin also assured that Russia is participating in the international investigation of the tragedy.
«In accordance with the agreements with the Azerbaijani side, we are providing comprehensive assistance to the investigation. Our experts are already working with colleagues from Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan», he added.
According to the dictator, Moscow allegedly provided «all available data» from radars and air defence systems to analyse the flight path of the plane.
Expert reaction
Ukrainian analysts emphasise that Russia traditionally tries to shift responsibility for their own actions in Ukraine.
Such statements may be an attempt to to justify the failure of Russian air defence systems, which could have caused the explosion near the aircraft.
«Such rhetoric is a classic example of a disinformation operation. Russia is creating an information cover for its own mistake», - commented the military expert Oleg Katerynich.
Context.
Earlier, a number of international media outlets reported that two Russian anti-aircraft shells explode near the AZAL aircraft, but did not strike him directly.
This information is currently being verified by investigators in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
The final results of the investigation are expected in the coming weeks.
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