On Wednesday morning, an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed, killing 38 of the 67 people on board, sparking growing suspicions that the incident may have been caused by a Russian air defense missile.
Preliminary reports indicate that the plane, an Embraer 190, was hit by a missile while approaching its destination in Grozny, Russia. The flight, traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, had to reroute due to bad weather and made an emergency landing near Aktau, Kazakhstan.
Read more: Russian Cargo Ship Sinks in Mediterranean After Engine Room Explosion
Initial statements from Azerbaijan Airlines suggested a collision with a flock of birds, but surviving passengers later reported hearing a loud explosion followed by what appeared to be shrapnel striking the aircraft, damaging its fuselage.
Sources close to the investigation shared with Euronews that the damage to the plane strongly hints at a missile strike, likely from a Russian surface-to-air defense system. A report from Azerbaijan’s AnewZ news outlet also referenced a Russian military blogger who claimed the damage resembled an accidental missile strike.
The crash, which occurred in Aktau, Kazakhstan, claimed the lives of 38 people, including 37 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, 6 Kazakhs, and 3 Kyrgyz nationals. The 29 survivors, including two children, were hospitalized. Flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 revealed unusual flight behavior in the moments before the crash, including sharp altitude changes and GPS jamming, which disrupted real-time tracking.
The incident draws comparisons to the 2014 downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which was also hit by a surface-to-air missile in eastern Ukraine, attributed to Russian-backed forces.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev addressed the press, stating it was too early to determine the cause of the crash, though he confirmed the weather had forced the plane to divert to Aktau, where it ultimately crashed during an attempted landing.
This tragedy has raised concerns about the safety of air travel in regions with heavy military activity and air defense systems, such as Grozny. The Chechen capital, controlled by Ramzan Kadyrov, serves as a key Russian defense point against potential Ukrainian drone attacks.
Azerbaijan Airlines has promised to keep the public updated and fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation, while Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Emergency Situations continues to examine the wreckage for more details.
