An Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan, resulting in 38 fatalities, was reportedly downed by a Russian air defense system, according to four sources cited by Reuters. The Embraer 190 passenger jet was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny, Russia, when it altered its course and crashed approximately two miles from Aktau while making an emergency landing after flying east over the Caspian Sea. All 29 survivors sustained injuries.
The aircraft had diverted from a region in Russia where air defense systems have been deployed against Ukrainian drone strikes in recent months. Footage circulating online appeared to show the plane descending steeply before crashing in a fireball. Additional videos captured the aircraft’s fuselage detached from its wings, lying overturned in the grass.
Reports indicated that passengers could be heard praying as oxygen masks deployed in the cabin moments before the crash. One Azerbaijani source mentioned that preliminary findings suggest the plane was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system, with its communications disrupted by electronic warfare systems during the approach to Grozny.
“No one claims it was intentional,” the source stated. “However, given the established facts, Baku expects Russia to admit to shooting down the Azerbaijani aircraft.” An unnamed U.S. official echoed this assessment, indicating that there were early signs of Russian anti-aircraft system involvement. Euronews reported that a preliminary investigation found a Russian surface-to-air missile had been fired at the plane amid drone activity over Grozny, with shrapnel hitting the aircraft during flight.
Despite the pilots’ requests for an emergency landing at Russian airports, the damaged plane was directed towards Aktau. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov advised against speculation about the crash’s cause until investigations are complete. Kazakh regional transport prosecutor Abylaibek Ordabayev stated authorities have not yet drawn conclusions regarding the involvement of Russian air defenses in the incident.
Investigations into the crash have been called for by officials from Russia, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan. Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, indicated that the pilots diverted to Aktau due to an emergency allegedly caused by a bird strike.
In Azerbaijan, a national day of mourning was observed, with flags flown at half-mast on Thursday. Traffic halted at noon, and vessels and trains signaled in remembrance as the nation held a moment of silence.
Nazakat Asadova, wife of survivor Zulfugar Asadov, shared her distress: “He got up early in the morning, prayed and left the house at almost six o’clock. He said, God willing, I’ll be landing around 12 to 1 p.m. Then we heard on TV that the plane had crashed. Then his name came up on TV and on the lists. They said that people died, but Zulfugar Asadov survived.”
Credit: Sky News
