Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended more than half of its flights to regions of Russia due to security concerns after the plane crashed in Kazakhstan en route to Grozny and was reportedly hit by Russian air defense systems.

At the same time, the air carrier flydubai also suspended flights from Dubai to the airports of Sochi and Mineralnye Vody in southern Russia, the association of Russian travel agents ATOR announced on Friday.

On Thursday, Israeli airline El Al suspended flights on the Tel Aviv-Moscow route for the coming week due to “developments in Russian airspace”.
In particular, the Azerbaijani carrier announced on Friday that it was suspending flights to five additional Russian destinations, after previously suspending flights to Grozny and Makhachkala. The flagship of the Azeri airline will continue to fly to six Russian cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg.

The Embraer SA 190 jet departed from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on Wednesday, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members. He was approaching Grozny when he was forced to divert his course along the Caspian Sea. The plane eventually crashed about 3 kilometers from its destination in Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people on board.

The aircraft was damaged by Russian air defense systems near Grozny before trying to make an emergency landing in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan’s government-linked Caliber news website reported Thursday, citing government officials. Due to the use of electronic warfare systems by the Russians, the aircraft’s communication system was completely paralyzed, the news site reported.

There are no official explanations for the crash, and none of the three countries Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have immediately commented on the specific reports to Caliber.

Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia’s Federal Air Transport Service, confirmed to Tass that Grozny airport was under attack by Ukrainian drones at the time the Azerbaijan Air Force plane requested to land. The pilot was offered several airports as options for landing, but chose to fly to Kazakhstan, he said.

The new route suspensions affect flights to the Russian destinations of Mineralnye Vody, Sochi, Volgograd, Ufa and Samara from December 28, the airline said. The flight suspension will remain in effect until the investigation is completed.

The government in Baku, meanwhile, rejected a request by Russia and Kazakhstan to investigate the crash by an air force of the Russian-led Commonwealth of Independent States, the pro-government APA news agency reported, citing an Azerbaijani official. Instead, Azerbaijan requested an investigation by an international panel of experts and representatives of the plane manufacturer Embraer.

The security of Russian airspace has been affected by the war with Ukraine, as Kiev’s drone attacks intensify and Moscow responds with anti-missile systems.

Russia on Friday temporarily suspended flights to three airports in the North Caucasus, including Grozny, Tass reported. Kazan and Sochi airports were also closed to flights, according to Interfax.

Azerbaijan Airlines had to divert a flight to Mineralnye Vody back to Baku on Friday as the airspace on its route was closed, Tass reported.