Aviation accidents, similar to Kazakhstan’s, may happen again - aviation expert

Aviation expert Bohdan Dolintse shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"Russians either enjoy shooting down civilian planes or it’s part of their broader policy to influence the international community. For countries that continue flying to Russia, profiting from these routes, and helping Russians travel abroad, especially to Europe, this serves as another warning that such incidents could happen repeatedly. Russia typically withholds information about the true state of its civil aviation sector," the expert said.

“Hiding the real situation in Russian airspace is a critical part of the issue. Russia keeps airspace open in cities and regions where it cannot guarantee the safety of civilian flights,”  Dolintse noted.

Commenting on the recent plane crash in Kazakhstan, he suggested it might have been caused by Russia’s unprofessional actions, including the use of unreliable weapons.

"It’s important to understand that Russia continues to rely primarily on Soviet-era systems, which are quite outdated. Even the new systems developed in modern Russia are based on the same principles and technologies as the Soviet ones. These are not modern, high-tech solutions capable of reliably ensuring airspace safety. These Soviet systems have numerous flaws and limitations, making it impossible to guarantee a secure and reliable airspace," he stated.

Regarding the theory that civilian planes may be targeted for carrying specific equipment, Dolintse noted that only Russia itself uses such methods.

"Recently, a Russian ship under a civilian flag was intercepted while transporting a large shipment of surveillance equipment. It’s possible that Russia also uses civilian planes for reconnaissance missions when flying to other countries," he added.

Plane crash in Kazakhstan

On the morning of December 25, a passenger plane crashed in Aktau, Kazakhstan. The aircraft was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, to Grozny, Russia. The crash claimed 38 lives. Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation stated that the plane was struck by a Russian surface-to-air missile system.

Azerbaijan Airlines and Azerbaijan's Minister of Digital Development and Transport, Rashad Nabiyev, identified "external impact" as the preliminary cause of the crash in Kazakhstan.

Preliminary investigation findings indicate that a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the crash of the passenger plane near Aktau.

On Friday, December 27, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held a phone call with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, during which the leaders discussed the progress of the investigation into the Azerbaijani Airlines crash near Aktau.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the tragedy, emphasizing Russia's involvement.