A Russian surface-to-air missile has downed an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane in the Kazakh city of Aktau, according to Euronews, citing sources within the Azerbaijani government. The crash resulted in the deaths of 38 people, including 25 Azerbaijani citizens.
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Euronews, citing exclusive information from Azerbaijani government sources, reported that the missile was fired at the plane during drone activity over Grozny. The missile detonated near the passenger plane, injuring both the crew and passengers.
According to Azerbaijani government officials, despite the pilots requesting an emergency landing, the damaged plane was denied permission to land at any Russian airport. Instead, it was redirected to fly over the Caspian Sea to Aktau in Kazakhstan.
Sources also revealed that the plane's GPS navigation systems were jammed during its flight over the sea.
The information reported by Euronews aligns with earlier versions circulating on social networks and in Russian media. Bloggers and military analysts suggest that the holes in the surviving part of the plane were caused by the fragments of an anti-aircraft missile.
The Azerbaijan Airlines plane was en route from Baku to Grozny on December 25. According to Chechen airport authorities, the flight was diverted to Makhachkala due to fog before proceeding to Aktau.
Rosaviatsia stated that, due to an “emergency situation” on board caused by a collision with birds, the plane’s captain decided to divert to an alternative airfield, ultimately choosing Aktau.
However, the real reason for the course change may have been an attack by Ukrainian drones in Grozny.
“Russia should have closed Grozny’s airspace, but it didn’t. The plane was damaged by the Russians and was sent to Kazakhstan instead of making an emergency landing in Grozny to save lives,” said Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Combating Disinformation of Ukraine’s National Security Council.
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Health has released a list of the 22 passengers and 3 crew members who perished in the crash. The youngest victim among the 19 men and 6 women was 19 years old.
The Embraer 190 had 67 people on board, including 62 passengers and 5 crew members. As per available information, seven Russian citizens were among the deceased.
