An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed in the Kazakh city of Aktau on December 25 due to a Russian surface-to-air missile.
Points of attention
- An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed in the Kazakh city of Aktau on December 25 due to a Russian surface-to-air missile, killing 38 passengers and crew members.
- Preliminary investigation suggests a possible downing of the commercial aircraft by a Russian missile system, raising concerns about aviation safety and security.
- If confirmed, this would be the second time in the last decade that Russian forces have been involved in the destruction of a commercial airplane, following the tragic MH17 disaster in Ukraine.
- Questions surrounding the incident include the jamming of the aircraft's GPS navigation systems and the decision not to allow the damaged plane to land at any Russian airport.
- Investigations are ongoing to uncover the exact causes of the crash, with reports indicating the possibility of an explosion on board and survivors mentioning an explosion during the flight.
Russia shot down Azerbaijani plane with missile
This was reported by Euronews, citing unnamed sources in the Azerbaijani government.
According to sources, the missile was fired at Flight 8432 during a drone attack over the Chechen city of Grozny. The munition exploded next to the plane during flight, and debris hit passengers and crew members.
Euronews sources told Euronews that the damaged plane was not allowed to land at any Russian airport, despite the pilots' request for an emergency landing, and was ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea towards Aktau in Kazakhstan.
According to a preliminary investigation, the aircraft's GPS navigation systems were jammed throughout its flight path over the sea.
The missile was launched from the Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile system, the Baku-based publication AnewZ reported, citing sources in the Azerbaijani government.
The article states that if these preliminary data are confirmed, this would be the second time in the last 10 years that Russian forces have destroyed a commercial aircraft, following the MH17 crash in Ukraine in July 2014.
Plane crash in Kazakhstan: what is known
An Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane flying from Baku to Grozny, Russia, crashed near the city of Aktau in western Kazakhstan on December 25. There were 67 people on board, 38 of whom died.
The exact causes of the crash are currently unknown. Azerbaijan Airlines initially reported that preliminary information indicated that the cause of the incident was a collision between the plane and birds.
Kazakh media, citing the health department of the Mangystau region, report that there may have been an explosion on board. Survivors of the crash also speak about the explosion. Photos and videos from the crash site posted online show holes in the plane's skin, the origin of which is unclear.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, reported on December 25 that an Embraer 190 aircraft of an Azerbaijani airline was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile system.
