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Azerbaijan reveals details of targeting its civilian aircraft over Russia
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The downing of the Azerbaijani civilian aircraft reveals the danger of Russia's indiscriminate use of anti-aircraft weapons in civil aviation areas

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev presented crucial details regarding the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft in Kazakhstan this week, which claimed the lives of 38 people.
In a televised interview broadcast by the official Azertag agency on Sunday, Aliyev disclosed that the ill-fated aircraft was hit by Russian fire, explaining "the civilian aircraft was targeted externally over Russian territory, near Grozny, and its tail was severely damaged due to ground fire."
He revealed that the plane lost control last Wednesday due to military electronic jamming systems, pointing to attempts by Russian parties to obscure the facts of the plane's downing.
Aliyev emphasized that "the final investigation results and details will become clear after examining the black boxes," adding that "the data confirms external damage to the aircraft over Russian territory, and it nearly lost control," continuing: "We also know that electronic warfare systems took our aircraft off course, this was the first targeting, and at the same time, the aircraft's tail sustained severe damage from ground fire."
The Azerbaijani president presented three demands to Moscow regarding the plane crash, calling for an apology and admission of responsibility, according to Interfax agency, in addition to demanding compensation for losses resulting from the disaster.
The Kremlin confirmed a phone call between the Russian and Azerbaijani presidents, during which they continued discussing issues related to the plane crash.
Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday apologized to his Azerbaijani counterpart for what he described as the "tragic incident" in Russian airspace, where the Azerbaijani aircraft crashed after air defense systems were activated against Ukrainian drones.
Flight J2-8243 crashed Wednesday near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after deviating from its course in southern Russia, where there were reports of Ukrainian drone attacks on multiple cities. The flight was heading from Baku to the Chechen capital Grozny.
Initial data from Azerbaijani investigations, according to four informed sources who spoke to Reuters on Thursday, indicate that Russian air defense systems shot down the plane by mistake, while passengers confirmed hearing a massive explosion outside the aircraft.
The civilian Embraer aircraft flew from the Azerbaijani capital Baku toward Grozny in southern Russia, deviated from its destination after sustaining severe damage, and flew an additional 450 kilometers across the Caspian Sea.
Levant-Agencies
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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