**Kremlin Silent on Plane Crash and Undersea Cable Damage**
The Kremlin is not commenting on two incidents: the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane by a Russian air defense system and the detention of a Russian tanker in Finland suspected of damaging undersea cables.
On December 25, the Embraer E190AR plane crashed in Aktau, Kazakhstan. Of the 67 people on board, 38 died and 29 were hospitalized, with 11 in serious condition.
The Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation says that Moscow’s silence confirms their guilt in both incidents. Evidence suggests that Russian air defenses shot down the plane and Russian operatives damaged cables connecting Estonia and Finland.
The center claims that Russia is using a deliberate tactic to control information warfare. When they fail to create conspiracy theories, they wait for truthful information to subside before spreading disinformation.
This tactic is similar to Russia’s response to the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.
**Details of the Incidents**
* The Azerbaijan Airlines plane was likely shot down by a Russian Pantsir-S1 air defense system.
* A Russian “shadow fleet” tanker was detained in Finland on suspicion of damaging undersea cables.
* The Kremlin has refused to comment on both incidents, citing the need for an investigation.
**Background Information**
* Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Chief confirmed that Russia shot down the Azerbaijan Airlines plane using a Pantsir-S1 system.
* Russian air defenses were engaged in repelling a drone attack over Grozny when the plane was shot down.
* Experienced operators should not have confused a drone with a large airliner on their radar.