(Updated: )
A Russian surface-to-air missile caused the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines flight near Aktau, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijani government sources reportedly confirmed to Euronews on Dec. 26.
The plane, en route from Baku to Grozny, carried 67 passengers, including 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz citizens. Thirty-eight people have been confirmed dead.
The missile was fired from a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system, the Baku-based outlet AnewZ reported, citing official Azerbaijani government sources.
The missile allegedly targeted Flight 8432 during drone activity over Grozny on Dec. 25. According to Euronews sources, shrapnel from the explosion reportedly struck the passengers and cabin crew as the missile detonated mid-flight near the aircraft.
The reported use of air defense systems aligns with multiple media reports of drone attacks in Chechnya on the morning of Dec. 25. The aircraft attempted to land in Grozny, but Russian airports reportedly denied it permission for an emergency landing, forcing the pilots to divert toward Aktau in Kazakhstan.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these claims.
Footage analyzed by independent media outlets Meduza and Mediazona shows damage consistent with surface-to-air missile impacts, including holes in the fuselage and traces of a missile strike on the tail section.
Survivors recounted hearing an explosion before the failed landing attempts in Grozny. Upon trying to land in Aktau, the plane broke apart on impact and caught fire.
Rasim Musabekov, a member of Azerbaijan's parliament and foreign affairs committee member, told Azerbaijani news agency Turan that it was evident that the plane was "shot down over Russian territory, in the sky above Grozny. It is impossible to deny this."
"Those responsible for this must be held criminally accountable, and compensation must be paid for the deaths and injuries. If this doesn't happen, the relations will certainly shift to a different level," Musabekov added.
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) initially attributed the crash to a collision with a flock of birds, causing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing.
The black box from the crash site has been recovered, and Azerbaijani media reported that its analysis will be critical in confirming the events leading up to the crash.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
