A preliminary investigation by Azerbaijan into a fatal air crash in Kazakhstan suggests that the airliner was shot down by Russia’s air defense systems, according to reports from multiple media outlets.
Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 crashed on Wednesday near the city of Aktau while en route to Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic in southern Russia. The crash resulted in 38 fatalities and 29 injuries.
Although Azerbaijan has not yet publicly disclosed the findings of its investigation, reports from Euronews, The Wall Street Journal, Anadolu Agency, and Reuters indicate that sources familiar with the probe have concluded that a Russian anti-aircraft missile was responsible. One source indicated that the aircraft was struck by a missile from a Russian Pantsir-S battery after its communications were disrupted by electronic warfare systems while approaching Grozny.
The missile strike is not believed to have been intentional, the source reportedly told Reuters. Government sources cited by Euronews stated that the aircraft had requested an emergency landing in Russia, but was instead directed to fly across the Caspian Sea toward Aktau.
Initially, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency suggested that the crash occurred due to a bird strike, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing. However, experts in aviation pointed to the visible damage on the plane’s tail section as evidence that Russian air defenses may have been involved. The Embraer 190, which was flying over Russia’s North Caucasus region—a known target for Ukrainian drones—had been operating in an area where Russia’s Ministry of Defense had reported shooting down numerous drones just days before the crash.
Footage circulating on social media showed the plane descending sharply before crashing and bursting into flames.
Russia has urged caution regarding speculation on the crash’s cause.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov emphasized that it would be inappropriate to form conclusions before the investigation was complete. Kazakhstan, which is also conducting its own investigation, has refrained from speculating on the cause until its findings are made public.
In Azerbaijan, Thursday was declared a day of mourning for the victims of the tragedy. A moment of silence was observed nationwide, and national flags were lowered as traffic halted across the country. President Ilham Aliyev expressed the nation’s sorrow, calling the incident “a great tragedy” that has deeply affected the Azerbaijani people.
“This is a great tragedy that has become a tremendous sorrow for the Azerbaijani people,” Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said.
