Russia urges caution amid theories on Azerbaijan plane crash

The Kremlin on Thursday called for restraint after media reports that a Russian air defense system could have brought down an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet.

The plane, an Embraer 190, was traveling from Baku to Grozny in southern Russia when it crashed on the shore of the Caspian Sea in Kazakhstan on Wednesday.

Thirty-eight people on board were killed, but miraculously 29 others survived.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Russian state-run TASS news agency that "it would be wrong to hypothesize before the conclusions of the investigation are available."

What are the latest clues to the crash?

Reuters news agency and the New York Times cited anonymous sources linked to the Azeri investigation saying that a Russian missile defense system was likely involved.

Preliminary results showed the plane was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system, and its communications were paralyzed by electronic warfare systems on the approach into Grozny, one of the sources told Reuters.

The source said: "No one claims that it was done on purpose. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft."

European broadcaster Euronews cited Azeri government sources as saying that "shrapnel hit the passengers and cabin crew as it exploded next to the aircraft mid-flight."

Military and aviation experts have pointed to apparent shrapnel damage on the fuselage of the plane.

Euronews also cited its sources saying the damaged plane "was not allowed to land at any Russian airports despite the pilots' requests for an emergency landing".

They said the plane was instead ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea to the Kazakh city of Aktau— far off its original route.

Earlier reports suggested the plane had veered hundreds of miles off its flight path.

Flight tracking website Flight Radar showed the aircraft circling the airfield in Aktau before coming down about two miles away.

Speaking at a news conference, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev said it was too soon to speculate on the cause behind the crash. He added that poor weather had forced the plane to change its course, citing preliminary reports.

Initial reports of bird strike

Russia's civil aviation authority said initial reports suggested that the pilots diverted to Aktau after a bird strike led to an emergency on board.

Azerbaijan Airlines initially said the plane flew through a flock of birds before withdrawing the statement.

"We cannot disclose any investigation results at this time," the office of Azerbaijan's prosecutor general said, adding that "all possible scenarios are being examined, and the necessary expert analyses are underway."

Azerbaijan's state news agency reported that search teams had located the aircraft's black box flight recorders.

In Brussels, NATO called for a full investigation into the cause of the crash.

Brazil's Air Force sending 'technical support,' Israeli airline redirects flights 

Brazil's Air Force told Reuters on Thursday that it was sending three investigators to assist in the investigation in Azerbaijan. The Embraer plane involved was Brazilian-made. 

The air force said the investigators would provide "technical support" to Azeri investigators under agreed international rules.

Meanwhile, Israel's flagship commercial carrier El Al said on Thursday that it had suspended all flights to Moscow for the remainder of the week, citing "developments in Russia's airspace." 

It said it would reassess the situation next week and determine whether to resume flights. 

Azerbaijan mourns loss of lives

Azerbaijan held a national day of mourning Thursday for the victims of the crash.

National flags were lowered across the country and at noon traffic was stopped and signals sounded from ships and trains as the country observed a nationwide moment of silence.

Aliyev canceled a planned visit to St Petersburg for an informal summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a grouping of former Soviet nations.

mm, mk/rm (AFP, AP)