Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Downed by Russian Air Defences, Sources Say

An Azerbaijan Airlines flight was reportedly shot down by a Russian air defense system near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. Preliminary findings from Azerbaijan’s investigation indicate that the Embraer passenger jet was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S system, according to four sources familiar with the probe.

Flight J2-8243 had departed from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, before diverting hundreds of miles across the Caspian Sea. The aircraft crashed in a ball of fire, with communications reportedly disabled by Russian electronic warfare systems near Grozny.

Officials have not clarified why the plane veered off course. Russia’s aviation watchdog suggested a bird strike might have caused an emergency, but evidence of shrapnel damage on the wreckage and GPS jamming along the flight path points to anti-aircraft fire, according to aviation security firm Osprey Flight Solutions.

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While Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Qanat Bozymbaev refrained from confirming or denying the allegations, Azerbaijan expects Russia to acknowledge responsibility. The Kremlin stated it would wait for the investigation to conclude before commenting.

Of the 67 passengers aboard, 29 survived, with video footage showing oxygen masks deployed and passengers wearing life vests before the crash. The investigation continues amid heightened tensions in the region.