Azerbaijan plane crash: Probe points to mid-air external attack

The Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan this week suffered “physical external interference”, the airline and Azerbaijan’s transport minister stated on Friday.

Preliminary findings from the investigation have fuelled speculation that the aircraft was struck by a Russian air defence system.

The jet crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 passengers on board. The incident occurred after the plane attempted to land in the Russian city of Grozny but diverted far off course over the Caspian Sea.

Russia’s aviation chief revealed on Friday that Grozny was under attack by Ukrainian drones when the plane tried to land, but the Kremlin has refrained from commenting on claims that Russian air defence missiles accidentally shot down the aircraft.

Statements from Azerbaijan, referencing the investigation, suggest that the plane was struck mid-air.

“Based on the opinion of experts and eyewitness accounts, it can be concluded that there was external interference,” Azerbaijan’s transport minister, Rashad Nabiyev, told reporters.

“It is necessary to identify the type of weapon,” he added, citing survivors’ reports of hearing “three explosions” as the plane passed over Grozny.

Azerbaijan Airlines announced it had suspended flights to 10 Russian airports and said preliminary findings indicated that flight J2-8243, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed due to “physical and technical external interference”.

Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia’s civil aviation agency, stated that “the situation around Grozny airport at that time was very complex”, with Ukrainian drones attacking civilian infrastructure in Grozny and Vladikavkaz.

Yadrov added that the Azeri pilot made “two unsuccessful attempts to land in Grozny amid thick fog” before deciding to divert to Aktau airport.
‘Explosion’ Reports
The Kremlin on Friday declined to comment on the crash.

“Until the investigation is concluded, we will not comment,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Aviation and military experts have cited shrapnel damage on the wreckage as evidence the plane may have been hit by air defence systems. Azerbaijani media, including the pro-government site Caliber, reported claims from unnamed officials suggesting a Russian missile fired from a Pantsir-S1 air defence system caused the crash.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a “thorough investigation” into the tragedy, asserting that visual evidence pointed to Russian responsibility.

“Every loss of life deserves a thorough investigation to uncover the truth,” Zelensky stated on social media.

Subkhonkul Rakhimov, a Russian survivor, told state broadcaster RT that an “explosion” appeared to occur outside the plane as it attempted to land in Grozny, causing shrapnel to penetrate the fuselage.

“The fuselage near where I was sitting flew off. I grabbed a life jacket and saw it was pierced by shrapnel,” he recounted.
Apology Demanded
Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said on Friday that he had spoken with his Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, pledging a full investigation into the crash.

Azerbaijani MP Rasim Musabekov called on Russia to issue an apology, take responsibility, and compensate the victims’ families.

“They must accept responsibility, punish those at fault, and ensure such an incident never happens again,” Musabekov told AFP.

He suggested the plane may have been diverted across the Caspian Sea in an attempt to “cover up a crime”.

AFP