12-25-2024, 05:42 PM
(12-25-2024, 05:25 PM)Zaphod58 Wrote: It was over Grozny when it happened. What Ukrainian weapons systems could have shot it down?
The damage is completely wrong for a bird strike. The pilots might have confused the feeling and sound for a bird strike, but there's no way this damage was from a bird strike. And there were holes and damage already showing in flight before they got to Kazakhstan.
I'm thinking machine gun, KVP maybe, something man portable easy to leave behind after the attack without any connections back to Ukraine. I doubt they would use and dump a US M2 but could be. The elevator damage seems to indicate that the rounds came from the below the jet and when the jet banked left and took damage on the vertical stabilizer from the left of the jet. A heavy machine gun used with an anti-aircraft mount (the tall, man portable setup) could easily do this type of damage. If the cockpit got hit would force the Pilots to take action and make that diversion and emergency landing.
I guess another aircraft or drone could have been used, but something sized enough to do this should be picked up on radar. A couple of goons on the ground with a machine gun could do this without getting noticed by anyone.
