All 38 people on board have been killed in a tragic plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan, involving an Azerbaijan Airlines flight. Preliminary findings from Azerbaijan’s investigation point to Russian air defense systems having possibly mistaken the Embraer passenger jet.
Flight J2-8243 was headed from Baku, Azerbaijan to Grozny, Russia, on Wednesday, when it veered off course over the Caspian Sea. The plane later crashed in a firey plunge on the other shore. Initial reports indicated a possible bird-strike collision may have caused the plane’s crash. New findings show an even more disquieting cause.
Sources familiar with the Azerbaijan investigation report that a Pantsir-S Russian air defence system hit the jet, and electronic warfare systems interfered with its communications close to Grozny. However, the cause for flight path deviation is not yet explained since Makhachkala was closed as the closest airport on that morning.
As an Azerbaijani source reported, “Nobody says this is deliberate, but from all facts Baku believes that Moscow must admit what happened.” These results were confirmed by three sources more.
Russia’s Defence Ministry had not responded so far, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was necessary to wait for the official conclusions of the investigation. Kazakh officials, including Deputy Prime Minister Qanat Bozymbaev, also avoided confirming the reports, saying the inquiry is underway.
The crash adds to regional tensions as Russia has ramped up air defense activities in response to Ukrainian drone strikes. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan continue to investigate the incident to determine its exact cause.
