A letter of explanation written by Russian captain Dmitry Paladichuk, who gave the order to fire at the passenger plane that crashed, has been made public, according to Adyrna national portal. The information was reported by Minval.
According to media reports, sensational materials from an “anonymous source” were leaked, including the captain’s letter, as well as video and audio recordings from the moment the aircraft was targeted.
Although the Embraer 190 aircraft was not directly named in the letter, the document refers to a “potential target” that was not clearly visible due to fog. Captain Paladichuk reported this target to the military command post of the 51st division, providing its altitude and speed. After receiving a command by phone to “eliminate the target,” he
According to The Insider, Dmitry Paladichuk previously served in Russia’s air defense forces, including in the 14th Army in Novosibirsk. During a phone conversation, Paladichuk confirmed the authenticity of the letter and acknowledged that the writing style, especially the distinctive way he writes the letter “ё”, matched his own. The voice heard in the video released by Azerbaijani media also reportedly matched Paladichuk’s voice.
To recall, on December 25, 2024, an Embraer 190 flight from Baku to Grozny crashed near Aktau. There were 67 people on board. Investigators concluded that the aircraft was damaged by “external objects.”
