Why was the distressed plane refused to land in the close by Russian airports? Most likely, they did not want the bad publicity of the crash on the Russian territory, especially during the high level CIS meeting in St. Petersburg. In one word, the Prestige.
Search inside image Israel to share intelligence with Ukraine but holds back weaponry - Ukrainian World Congress - Ukrainian World Congress Visit Images may be subject to copyright. Learn More My Opinion: We see the (long awaited for and the most logical) signs of the emerging Israel - Ukraine Military and Intelligence Cooperation. As reported earlier, Ukraine sent some weapons, mostly drones to the rebels who now came to power in Syria. And now they cooperated in the Aktau Crash Operation. Prior to the crash Ukraine conducted the intense drone attack on Grozny, among other locations in Russia. The Russian Air Defense systems including the missiles, responded; and one of the missiles exploded near the plane, possibly producing the shrapnel holes in the tail area. It is also possible that the landing gears were damaged in this attack, and they were unable to open later, at the time of the plane's landing in Aktau. Whatever damage the plane sustained, it was ...