• The president of Azerbaijan Airlines said the heroism of the two pilots, who were among dozens killed in a plane crash in Kazakhstan on December 25, will “never be forgotten.”
• A Ukrainian official and an aviation security company said the incident may have been caused by anti-aircraft fire from RussiaThe Wall Street Journal reported
• Russia warned against any theories about the crash until investigators had completed their work

The head of Azerbaijan Airlines praises the actions of two pilots who were among the 38 people killed on a doomed flight that crashed during an emergency landing in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, December 25.

Despite the high death toll, dozens of other passengers survived the crash, the cause of which is still under investigation.

Speaking to journalists after the Christmas Day incident, Azerbaijan Airlines President Samir Rzayev credited the pilots for rescuing 29 other passengers on board the plane.

“Unfortunately, two of our experienced pilots and a guide died in the accident,” Rzayev said, according to Azerbaijani news agency Report and Business Insider. “Their heroism will never be forgotten.”

“While this tragic accident marked a significant loss for our nation,” Rzayev continued, “the crew’s brave devotion to their duties until the last moment and their prioritization of human life have etched their names in history.”

Azerbaijan Airlines has said that one of its Embraer 190 aircraft flying on the Baku-Grozny route made an emergency landing about 3 km from the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan.

At the time of the flight, the aircraft was carrying 67 people – including 62 passengers and five crew members.

“Contacts are being established with the Kazakh authorities and the necessary operational support is being provided by the Kazakh rescue forces on site,” the statement from Azerbaijan Airlines said.

The airline also said the survivors were receiving medical attention.

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Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev separately commented on the tragedy, saying: “I pray for Allah’s grace for those who lost their lives in the plane crash.” I express my condolences to them and pray for patience for their families and loved ones.

“This is a great tragedy, a significant loss for the people of Azerbaijan,” Aliyev said.

He said a commission had been set up to investigate the crash.

Based on the information provided to him, Aliyev said that the plane “changed course due to deteriorating weather conditions and headed towards Aktau airport, where it crashed upon landing.”

Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials and aviation experts suspected the crash may have been caused by anti-aircraft fire from Russia. The Wall Street Journal reported – a view downplayed by the Kremlin.

“The video of the wreckage and the circumstances surrounding the airspace security environment in southwest Russia indicate that the aircraft may have been hit by some form of anti-aircraft fire,” Matt Borie, chief intelligence officer at aviation security company Osprey Flight Solutions, told the newspaper.

In a post on

“This morning, an Embraer 190 aircraft of an Azerbaijani airline flying from Baku to Grozny was shot down by a Russian air defense system,” Kovalenko wrote. “However, it is inconvenient for everyone to admit this, so efforts are being made to cover it up, even the holes in the remaining parts of the aircraft.” During the flight, there is also video footage from inside the aircraft, which shows holes in life jackets and others show damage. ”

“Russia should have closed the airspace over Grozny, but did not,” Kovalenko continued. “The plane was damaged by the Russians and sent to Kazakhstan instead of being urgently landed in Grozny to save lives.”

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, told reporters that when investigating the crash “it would be wrong to create hypotheses before the investigation comes to a conclusion,” NBC News reported.

“We definitely can’t do it and no one should do it,” Peskov said.

On Thursday, December 26, PEOPLE contacted the Russian President’s Press Office and Azerbaijan Airlines for further comment.

In his remarks, Aliyev also warned against premature speculation about the cause of the plane crash.

“There are videos of the plane crash in the media and on social networks that everyone can see. “However, we do not yet know the reasons for the crash,” he said. “There are various theories, but I think it is premature to discuss them. “The matter needs to be thoroughly investigated.”

Rzayev, the president of Azerbaijan Airlines, said the plane’s black box had been recovered.

He said the plane underwent an overhaul in October, passed a technical inspection and the pilots had logged more than 15,000 flight hours, according to the report.

“The survivors will be returned to the country,” Rzayev told reporters, adding: “The bodies of those who lost their lives will be returned within two days.” May God have mercy on the deceased and we wish the survivors a speedy recovery .”