Latest news with #DmitryPaladichuk
Novaya Gazeta Europe
a day ago
- Politics
- Novaya Gazeta Europe
Leaked note shows Russian military captain admit to ordering missile strike on Azerbaijan Airlines flight — Novaya Gazeta Europe
A leaked note allegedly written by a Russian military captain, in which he takes responsibility for transmitting the final order to shoot down a passenger jet that crashed in Kazakhstan last December, has been made public after Minval, an Azerbaijani media outlet, published the letter on Tuesday. On 25 December, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, carrying 67 people on board, was on a scheduled flight from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny in the North Caucasus when a Russian surface-to-air missile reportedly struck it. It was denied permission to land in Russia and diverted to Kazakhstan, where the flight later crashed, killing 38 people on board, including both pilots and a flight attendant. In the note, which Minval obtained from an anonymous source, Russian captain Dmitry Paladichuk states that on the morning of 25 December, he spotted a 'potential target' that was difficult to discern due to 'very thick fog' amid a Ukrainian drone attack on Grozny. He says he alerted his superior officers and transmitted the object's coordinates and speed, before receiving the command to destroy the target. He says he then ordered an operator to fire two air defence missiles, shrapnel from the second of which reportedly struck the aircraft. According to The Insider, a Russian investigative outlet that obtained a recording of a telephone conversation in which Paladichuk appears to confirm writing an explanatory note, the letter is most likely genuine. In the recording, Paladichuk asserts that he wrote the note to an 'army commander' after 'shooting at the plane' because 'they demanded it' and confirms distinctive features of his handwriting. The Insider also states that Paladichuk's voice in the recording matches audio evidence originally published alongside the letter by Minval, which further supports the authenticity of the document. On 28 December, three days after the crash, Vladimir Putin apologised for what he called a 'tragic incident' after an aircraft experienced 'external interference' over Russian airspace. However, he did not confirm that the flight had been shot down or admit responsibility. One day later, Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev accused Russia of accidentally shooting down Flight 823 and demanded a full admission of guilt. In February, a preliminary Azerbaijani investigation found that 'foreign metal objects' had damaged the plane before it crashed. According to a senior Azerbaijani government official cited in reporting by Reuters, the 'object' in question referred to a Russian air defence missile. The publishing of Paladichuk's letter comes amid a rapid deterioration in Russian-Azerbaijani relations following the deaths of two Azerbaijani citizens during a police raid in the Russian Urals city of Yekaterinburg on Saturday under unclear circumstances.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Chilling audio reveals moment Russians shot down plane on Christmas killing 38… and knew it wasn't a Ukrainian drone
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A CHILLING audio clip has emerged revealing the moment Russians shot down a passenger plane on Christmas that left 38 people dead. New evidence suggests the Russians knew the object in the sky they were aiming at was not a Ukrainian drone. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 7 Emergency specialists work at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet near the western Kazakh city of Aktau Credit: AFP 7 The wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lays on the ground with several emergency workers and vehicles nearby Credit: AFP 7 Footage shows the inside of the plane just moments before the deadly crash Credit: X/yo2thok 7 Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190, carrying 67 passengers from Baku to Grozny in Russia, crashed after crossing the Caspian Sea in Aktau, Kazakhstan. An investigation by the Azerbaijani government found that the plane was hit by a Russian Pantsir-S surface-to-air missile defence system. Russians claimed the city of Grozny was under attack from Ukrainian drones at the time the plane was hit. A chilling voice recording ordering the shooting of the plane was leaked to Azerbaijani media. A person can be heard saying: "Hello! Azimuth 338, range 7,000, altitude 490, speed 118, heading 230." To which a person replies: "Yes, range is now 7. Fire! I said fire!" The first person, understood to be operating the Russian air defence unit, then replies: "Fired!" "Missed… Missed! Again! Fire once more," the other person says "Copy, firing," said the operator before firing the fatal air defence rocket. The voice reporting the coordinates was Captain Dmitry Paladichuk, a Russian air defence officer commanding a missile unit, it has been found. Plane almost tips over as it lands on right-side wheel in rain and heavy wind The devastating exchange was leaked to the Azerbaijan outlet Minval amid deeply strained relations between Moscow and Baku. A leak of handwritten testimony by Captain Paladichuk revealed a gripping account of how he was ordered by an unnamed commander to shoot. In a sworn statement he said: 'I was ordered by phone to destroy the target.' He said: 'At 08:13:30 I ordered the operator to engage. At 08:13:33 the missile cleared the launcher. At 08:13:47 the BM-72V6 [fire] control system reported a miss. "At 08:13:48 I ordered a second engagement…. 'The second missile was launched when the target had the following characteristics: azimuth 311°, distance 8,000 m, altitude 1,300 m, speed 120 m/s.' The plane's speed, around 265 mph, was more than double the speed of most drones. Also, the altitude of the object - between 1,607ft and 4,265ft - indicated it was a plane seeking to land at a nearby airport. 7 A preliminary investigation suggests the jet was downed by a Russian air defence system Credit: AP 7 Flowers and portraits at the Consulate of Azerbaijan in the memory of victims of the Azerbaijan Airlines' crash Credit: AP 7 Sworn statement by Captain Dmitry Paladichuk, leaked by Azerbaijani media Credit: East2West 'This suggests that the military had every indication that the object was a manned aircraft,' said the Insider independent media outlet analysing the leak from media in Azerbaijan. Terrifying footage showed the Embraer aircraft nosediving before smashing into the ground in a fireball. It exploded next to the aircraft, with the shrapnel hitting passengers and cabin crew, the report said. Grozny is the capital of the region of Chechnya, controlled by a close Putin ally and warlord, Ramzan Kadyrov. The use of air defence systems aligned with reports of Ukrainian drone attacks in Chechnya on the morning of Christmas Day. It marked the second time in a decade that Russia has downed a passenger plane after the MH17 crash in Ukraine in 2014. MIRACLE SURVIVORS Dozens of passengers, including children, miraculously survived the horror crash. Around 150 emergency responders rushed to the scene, battling towering flames and thick plumes of black smoke rising ominously into the sky. Meanwhile, an investigative team led by the deputy prosecutor general of Azerbaijan is working at the crash site. They found the black box of the doomed flight which revealed the haunting final words the pilot said just moments before the plane crashed on the ground. Struggling to control the plane, one of the pilots said: "I can't execute, control is lost!" The pilots reportedly tried to take the plane to three different airports but failed to land. But they lost communication with the ground crew before vanishing off the radar for 37 minutes. Footage emerged showing terrified passengers making final video calls and leaving messages as the aircraft began to plunge. Distressed people on board can be seen jumping out of their seats as they try to make sense of the situation. As the oxygen masks dangled in the air, some passengers started to scream in horror, while others called their loved ones and began praying.
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Chilling audio reveals moment Russians shot down plane on Christmas killing 38… and knew it wasn't a Ukrainian drone
A CHILLING audio clip has emerged revealing the moment Russians shot down a passenger plane on Christmas that left 38 people dead. New evidence suggests the 7 Emergency specialists work at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger jet near the western Kazakh city of Aktau Credit: AFP 7 The wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 lays on the ground with several emergency workers and vehicles nearby Credit: AFP 7 Footage shows the inside of the plane just moments before the deadly crash Credit: X/yo2thok 7 Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190, carrying 67 passengers from Baku to Grozny in Russia, An investigation by the Azerbaijani government found that the plane was hit by a Russian Pantsir-S surface-to-air missile defence system. Russians claimed the city of Grozny was under attack from Ukrainian drones at the time the plane was hit. A chilling voice recording ordering the shooting of the plane was leaked to Azerbaijani media. A person can be heard saying: "Hello! Azimuth 338, range 7,000, altitude 490, speed 118, heading 230." To which a person replies: "Yes, range is now 7. Fire! I said fire!" The first person, understood to be operating the Russian air defence unit, then replies: "Fired!" "Missed… Missed! Again! Fire once more," the other person says Most read in The US Sun "Copy, firing," said the operator before firing the fatal air defence rocket. The voice reporting the coordinates was Captain Dmitry Paladichuk, a Russian air defence officer commanding a missile unit, it has been found. Plane almost tips over as it lands on right-side wheel in rain and heavy wind The devastating exchange was leaked to the Azerbaijan outlet Minval amid deeply strained relations between Moscow and Baku. A leak of handwritten testimony by Captain Paladichuk revealed a gripping account of how he was ordered by an unnamed commander to shoot. In a sworn statement he said: 'I was ordered by phone to destroy the target .' He said: 'At 08:13:30 I ordered the operator to engage. At 08:13:33 the missile cleared the launcher. At 08:13:47 the BM-72V6 [fire] control system reported a miss. "At 08:13:48 I ordered a second engagement…. 'The second missile was launched when the target had the following characteristics: azimuth 311°, distance 8,000 m, altitude 1,300 m, speed 120 m/s.' The plane's speed, around 265 mph, was more than double the speed of most drones. Also, the altitude of the object - between 1,607ft and 4,265ft - indicated it was a plane seeking to land at a nearby airport. 7 A preliminary investigation suggests the jet was downed by a Russian air defence system Credit: AP 7 Flowers and portraits at the Consulate of Azerbaijan in the memory of victims of the Azerbaijan Airlines' crash Credit: AP 7 Sworn statement by Captain Dmitry Paladichuk, leaked by Azerbaijani media Credit: East2West 'This suggests that the military had every indication that the object was a manned aircraft,' said the Insider independent media outlet analysing the leak from media in Azerbaijan. Terrifying footage showed the Embraer aircraft nosediving before smashing into the ground in a fireball. It exploded next to the aircraft, with the shrapnel hitting passengers and cabin crew, the report said. Grozny is the capital of the region of Chechnya, controlled by a close Putin ally and warlord, Ramzan Kadyrov. The use of air defence systems aligned with reports of Ukrainian drone attacks in Chechnya on the morning of Christmas Day. It marked the second time in a decade that Russia has downed a passenger plane after the MH17 crash in in 2014. MIRACLE SURVIVORS Dozens of passengers, including children, miraculously survived the horror crash. Around 150 emergency responders rushed to the scene, battling towering flames and thick plumes of black smoke rising ominously into the sky. Meanwhile, an investigative team led by the deputy prosecutor general of Azerbaijan is working at the crash site. They found the black box of the doomed flight which revealed the haunting final words the pilot said just moments before the plane crashed on the ground. Struggling to control the plane, one of the pilots said: "I can't execute, control is lost!" The pilots reportedly tried to take the plane to three different airports but failed to land. But they lost communication with the ground crew before vanishing off the radar for 37 minutes. Footage emerged showing terrified passengers making final video calls and leaving messages as the aircraft began to plunge. Read more on the Irish Sun Distressed people on board can be seen jumping out of their seats as they try to make sense of the situation. As the oxygen masks dangled in the air, some passengers started to scream in horror, while others called their loved ones and began praying.
The Sun
a day ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Chilling audio reveals moment Russians shot down plane on Christmas killing 38… and knew it wasn't a Ukrainian drone
A CHILLING audio clip has emerged revealing the moment Russians shot down a passenger plane on Christmas that left 38 people dead. New evidence suggests the Russians knew the object in the sky they were aiming at was not a Ukrainian drone. 7 7 7 7 Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190, carrying 67 passengers from Baku to Grozny in Russia, crashed after crossing the Caspian Sea in Aktau, Kazakhstan. An investigation by the Azerbaijani government found that the plane was hit by a Russian Pantsir-S surface-to-air missile defence system. Russians claimed the city of Grozny was under attack from Ukrainian drones at the time the plane was hit. A chilling voice recording ordering the shooting of the plane was leaked to Azerbaijani media. A person can be heard saying: "Hello! Azimuth 338, range 7,000, altitude 490, speed 118, heading 230." To which a person replies: "Yes, range is now 7. Fire! I said fire!" The first person, understood to be operating the Russian air defence unit, then replies: "Fired!" "Missed… Missed! Again! Fire once more," the other person says "Copy, firing," said the operator before firing the fatal air defence rocket. The voice reporting the coordinates was Captain Dmitry Paladichuk, a Russian air defence officer commanding a missile unit, it has been found. Plane almost tips over as it lands on right-side wheel in rain and heavy wind The devastating exchange was leaked to the Azerbaijan outlet Minval amid deeply strained relations between Moscow and Baku. A leak of handwritten testimony by Captain Paladichuk revealed a gripping account of how he was ordered by an unnamed commander to shoot. In a sworn statement he said: 'I was ordered by phone to destroy the target.' He said: 'At 08:13:30 I ordered the operator to engage. At 08:13:33 the missile cleared the launcher. At 08:13:47 the BM-72V6 [fire] control system reported a miss. "At 08:13:48 I ordered a second engagement…. 'The second missile was launched when the target had the following characteristics: azimuth 311°, distance 8,000 m, altitude 1,300 m, speed 120 m/s.' The plane's speed, around 265 mph, was more than double the speed of most drones. Also, the altitude of the object - between 1,607ft and 4,265ft - indicated it was a plane seeking to land at a nearby airport. 7 7 'This suggests that the military had every indication that the object was a manned aircraft,' said the Insider independent media outlet analysing the leak from media in Azerbaijan. Terrifying footage showed the Embraer aircraft nosediving before smashing into the ground in a fireball. It exploded next to the aircraft, with the shrapnel hitting passengers and cabin crew, the report said. Grozny is the capital of the region of Chechnya, controlled by a close Putin ally and warlord, Ramzan Kadyrov. The use of air defence systems aligned with reports of Ukrainian drone attacks in Chechnya on the morning of Christmas Day. It marked the second time in a decade that Russia has downed a passenger plane after the MH17 crash in Ukraine in 2014. MIRACLE SURVIVORS Dozens of passengers, including children, miraculously survived the horror crash. Around 150 emergency responders rushed to the scene, battling towering flames and thick plumes of black smoke rising ominously into the sky. Meanwhile, an investigative team led by the deputy prosecutor general of Azerbaijan is working at the crash site. They found the black box of the doomed flight which revealed the haunting final words the pilot said just moments before the plane crashed on the ground. Struggling to control the plane, one of the pilots said: "I can't execute, control is lost!" The pilots reportedly tried to take the plane to three different airports but failed to land. But they lost communication with the ground crew before vanishing off the radar for 37 minutes. Footage emerged showing terrified passengers making final video calls and leaving messages as the aircraft began to plunge. Distressed people on board can be seen jumping out of their seats as they try to make sense of the situation. As the oxygen masks dangled in the air, some passengers started to scream in horror, while others called their loved ones and began praying.
