Photo: RIA Novosti
The air authorities of Azerbaijan have not allowed the Russian Il-76 military transport aircraft to fly to Syria through its air space, forcing the plane to return to the airport in Sochi.
reports, quoting a conversation between the command post and the pilot, that the plane was flying in the “Syrian” direction through Armenia.
“You can’t reach Yerevan. Azerbaijan won’t allow. The flight is prohibited,” the dispatcher said. The crew was later instructed to return to the Sochi airport.