Several airlines cancel flights to Russia after Azerbaijan Airlines crash
Moscow has declined to comment on reports the plane could have been accidentally shot down by its air defence.
Russia has said that Grozny, the Chechen capital where the plane was meant to land, was being attacked by Ukrainian drones that day.
It crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
Turkmenistan Airlines -- the national carrier of the reclusive Central Asian state -- was the latest airline to announce cancellations Saturday.
It said that "regular flights between Ashgabat-Moscow-Ashgabat were cancelled from 30/12/2024 to 31/01/2025," without giving an explanation.
The decision came after UAE airline flydubai suspended flights between Dubai and the southern Russian cities of Mineralnye Vody and Sochi that were scheduled between December 27 and January 3.
Kazakhstan's Qazaq Air has suspended its flights to Russia's Urals city of Yekaterinburg until the end of January.
Earlier this week, Israeli airline El Al said it was suspending its flights to Moscow for a week.
The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crashed near the western Kazakh city of Aktau, on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
It was carrying out a flight between Azerbaijan's capital Baku and the city of Grozny in Russia.
For several days, some Western experts have been pointing to a crash caused by a Russian anti-aircraft missile.
Citing preliminary results of an investigation, Azerbaijan's transport minister said Friday that the crash suffered physical "external interference."
Statements from Azerbaijan citing the investigation into the incident suggest Baku believes the plane was hit mid-air.
On Friday, White House spokesman John Kirby said Washington has "indications" Russia may have been responsible, without giving details.
EU urges 'swift, independent' probe into Azerbaijan Airlines crash
Brussels, Belgium (AFP) Dec 28, 2024 - The European Union's top diplomat on Saturday called for a "swift, independent" probe into the Azerbaijan Airlines crash, after the US suggested the incident may have been caused by a Russian anti-aircraft missile.
The jet came down near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board, after attempting to land at its destination in the Russian city of Grozny and then diverting far off course across the Caspian Sea.
"I call for a swift, independent international investigation," Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign affairs chief, wrote on social media platform X.
She said the incident was a "stark reminder" of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, which was shot down by a surface-to-air missile fired by Russia-backed rebels over eastern Ukraine in 2014.
"Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims. I wish for a speedy recovery to the injured," Kallas said.
Her remarks came as Russian leader Vladimir Putin told his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev that Russian air defence was active when the Azerbaijani Airlines plane tried to land in Grozny.
According to the Kremlin, Putin called Aliyev and apologised that the incident took place in Russian airspace -- but did not claim responsibility for the crash.
Statements by Azerbaijani officials suggest Baku believes the plane was hit mid-air, while the US has said it had "early indications" Russian air defence may have been responsible for the crash.
Russia has previously said that Grozny was being attacked by Ukrainian drones that day.
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