Azerbaijan claims that the cause of the plane crash in Kazakhstan was a Russian missile.

The plane in Aktau crashed due to a 'ground-to-air' missile

According to the Azerbaijani government, the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Aktau was caused by a Russian 'ground-to-air' missile. The missile was launched during the operation of a drone over Grozny and hit the plane, causing it to fall. The plane was not allowed to land in Russian airports and the pilots were ordered to fly to Aktau over the Caspian Sea.

Preliminary data suggests that the aircraft's GPS navigation systems were jammed during the flight over the sea. According to reports from the Azerbaijani government, the missile was launched from the Pantsir-S air defense system.

Russian sources report that during the Azerbaijan Airlines flight over Chechnya, Russian air defense forces attempted to shoot down Ukrainian drones. However, the head of the Chechen Republic's Security Council, Ramzan Kadyrov, confirmed that he had recorded drones on another day and did not observe any casualties.

If the preliminary data is confirmed, this will be the second instance in a decade where Russian forces have destroyed a commercial airplane after the MH17 disaster in Ukraine. According to recent reports, a passenger Embraer aircraft flying from Baku to Grozny crashed at Aktau Airport. It is reported that citizens of Russia and other countries were on board. The investigation into the crash is ongoing.

‼️A video is circulating on social media showing strange traces on the tail of the plane that crashed in Kazakhstan. The holes resemble those left after gunfire But as it is known, Rosaviatsia blamed the birds for the crash... pic.twitter.com/Znq68XNLax

— GLAVCOM (@GLAVCOM_UA) December 25, 2024

Later, Rosaviatsia reported that the main cause of the plane crash was a collision with birds. An oxygen cylinder also exploded on board the plane, causing some people to begin fainting.

Currently, the investigation into the crash is ongoing, and a black box and flight recorder have been found at the scene. The black box was retrieved and the flight recorder was attached to the criminal case. The head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation believes that the plane was damaged by a Russian surface-to-air missile system. He also stated that the Russian military could have made an emergency landing in Grozny, but did not, which led to the tragedy.