Russian air defenses are believed to have downed an Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people, according to four sources familiar with the initial findings of Azerbaijan’s investigation into the disaster, Reuters reported on Thursday.
Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia, where Moscow has frequently used air defense systems to counter Ukrainian drone strikes. The Embraer passenger jet had flown from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya region before unexpectedly veering off course across the Caspian Sea.
The plane crashed on the opposite shore after what Russia’s aviation watchdog had initially described as an emergency possibly caused by a bird strike. Officials did not explain why the aircraft crossed the Caspian Sea, and the nearest Russian airport on its flight path, Makhachkala, was closed on Wednesday morning.
One Azerbaijani source involved in the investigation told Reuters that preliminary findings suggested the plane was struck by Russia’s Pantsir-S air defense system. The plane’s communications were reportedly disrupted by Russian electronic warfare systems while approaching Grozny, the source added.
“No one is suggesting this was intentional. However, based on the facts, Baku expects Russia to acknowledge its role in downing the Azerbaijani aircraft,” the source stated. Three other sources corroborated the preliminary findings. Russia’s Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment.
Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Qanat Bozymbaev said he could neither confirm nor deny that Russian air defenses were responsible for downing the plane. The Kazakh transport prosecutor for the region where the plane crashed also stated that the investigation had not reached a definitive conclusion.
The Kremlin, in response to questions before the Reuters report, stated that an investigation was ongoing and that it would be inappropriate to comment until the inquiry had concluded.
Wreckage and Passenger Accounts
Footage taken by passengers before the crash showed oxygen masks deployed and people wearing life vests. Later images showed survivors, bloodied and bruised, climbing out of the wreckage. Of the 38 people aboard, 29 survived.
Photos of the wreckage revealed what appeared to be shrapnel damage to the tail section of the plane. Aviation security firm Osprey Flight Solutions issued an alert to airlines, suggesting that the aircraft may have been struck by anti-aircraft fire, citing the wreckage and the airspace conditions over southwest Russia.
In recent months, Ukrainian military drones have repeatedly targeted Russia’s southern regions, triggering air defenses. Russia and Ukraine have been at war since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry reported downing 59 Ukrainian drones in various regions, some of which were intercepted in closed airspace along the Ukraine border.
Publicly available flight tracking data also showed that the Azerbaijani aircraft experienced GPS jamming during its flight over southwest Russia, a tactic commonly used by Russia to disrupt Ukrainian drone targeting and communication systems. Russia has deployed numerous air defense systems in response to drone threats.
The U.S. National Security Council deferred inquiries to Azerbaijani and Kazakhstani officials as the investigation continues.
