Azerbaijan’s initial investigation into a devastating plane crash in Kazakhstan has reportedly determined that the tragedy was caused by Russian air defense systems, according to multiple media outlets.
The crash involved Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432, which went down near Aktau on Wednesday while en route to Grozny, the capital of Russia’s Chechnya region.
The accident claimed the lives of 38 people and left 29 others injured.
Although Azerbaijan has yet to release an official statement on its findings, unnamed sources cited by Euronews, The Wall Street Journal, Anadolu Agency, and Reuters suggest that a Russian anti-aircraft missile was responsible for downing the aircraft.
According to Reuters, a source disclosed that the plane was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S system after its communications were disrupted by electronic warfare systems during its approach to Grozny.
The missile launch, however, was reportedly unintentional.
Government sources quoted by Euronews stated that the pilots had sought permission for an emergency landing in Russia but were denied, instead being directed to continue flying over the Caspian Sea towards Aktau.
Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency initially attributed the crash to an emergency landing necessitated by a bird strike.
However, aviation specialists pointed to visible damage to the aircraft’s tail section as evidence implicating Russian air defenses.
The Embraer 190 was flying over a part of Russia’s North Caucasus region that had recently been targeted by Ukrainian drones.
On Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, Russia’s Ministry of Defence reported intercepting dozens of drones in the area.
Footage circulating on social media captured the aircraft descending steeply before crashing and erupting into flames.
The Kremlin has urged restraint in drawing conclusions. “It would be wrong to make any hypotheses before the investigation’s conclusions,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Kazakhstan, which is conducting a separate investigation into the incident, has refrained from commenting on the possible causes until it completes its own inquiry.
Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning on Thursday to honoured the crash victims.
A moment of silence was held, traffic came to a standstill, and flags were flown at half-mast.
“This is a great tragedy that has become a tremendous sorrow for the Azerbaijani people,” Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.
The crash involved 67 people aboard the ill-fated plane, with at least 38 confirmed dead.
