Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crash: Preliminary Reports Suggest Attack by Russian Air Defense System

The preliminary results of the investigation indicate that an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) aircraft en route from Baku to Grozny has been attacked by the Russian air defense system Pantsir-S during its approach.

“Video recordings from the aircraft cabin indicate that two passengers were injured by shrapnel. All eyewitness testimony, including reports of explosions heard outside the aircraft, points to the involvement of air defense systems,” Caliber.Az reported on December 26, citing “reliable government sources.”

The report further stated that “as a result of the use of Russian electronic warfare (EW) systems, the communication system of the Azerbaijani aircraft was completely paralyzed. This disruption caused the aircraft to vanish from radar within Russian airspace and only reappear in the area of the Caspian Sea.”

“The Grozny airport refused to allow the aircraft to land. Moreover, the Azerbaijani aircraft was also denied permission to land at Makhachkala and Mineralnye Vody airports. The disoriented crew, subjected to air defense fire and electronic warfare (EW) systems, was redirected to the Kazakh city of Aktau,” the report continued.

In the early hours of December 25, the Embraer E190AR aircraft, en route from Baku to Grozny, the capital city of Chechnya, Russia, reportedly issued a distress call and requested an emergency landing. However, it tragically crashed 3 kilometers from the city of Aktau, resulting in 38 fatalities and 29 survivors. The passengers on board included 37 Azerbaijani nationals, 16 Russian citizens, six Kazakh nationals, three Kyrgyz citizens, and five crew members.

Azerbaijani government sources have exclusively confirmed to Euronews that “a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in Aktau. The missile was fired at Flight 8432 during drone air activity above Grozny, and the shrapnel hit the passengers and cabin crew as it exploded next to the aircraft mid-flight.”

They further added that “the plane’s GPS navigation systems were jammed throughout the flight path above the sea.”

Coincidentally, as the Azerbaijan Airlines flight traversed Chechen airspace, Russian air defense forces were actively engaged in attempts to shoot down Ukrainian UAVs. The head of the Security Council of the Chechen Republic, Khamzat Kadyrov, confirmed that a drone attack on Grozny occurred on the morning of December 25, stating that there were no casualties or damage.

Video footage from the crash site, including that published by the breaking news Telegram channel Baza, revealed what Baza described as “strange holes” in the fuselage that “look like those that remain after shelling or an explosion with shrapnel.”

Conversely, Russian state media outlets attributed the plane’s diversion to Aktau to fog in Grozny and claimed that the crash was caused by a bird strike.

According to AZAL CEO Samir Rzayev, the Embraer E190 aircraft had undergone a complete overhaul in October, successfully passed a technical inspection, and was piloted by experienced aviators with over 15,000 flight hours.

At the time of the crash, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev was en route to St. Petersburg, Russia, to attend an informal summit of CIS heads of state. Upon learning of the incident, while still in Russian airspace, President Aliyev issued instructions to state agencies to investigate the causes of the crash and implement urgent measures. He also ordered the immediate return of his plane to Baku. The president subsequently established a state commission to investigate the incident. Senior officials from various ministries were dispatched to the crash site, and immediate efforts were initiated to manage the aftermath and provide aid to the victims.

As a mark of national mourning, Azerbaijan declared December 26 as a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives in this tragic event. In a powerful display of solidarity, residents across Kazakhstan, including in Astana, gathered to honor the victims, with many leaving flowers in memory of those who perished in the crash. Furthermore, gatherings to remember the victims were held near Azerbaijan embassies in some cities around the world.

In a phone conversation with his Kazakh counterpart, Olzhas Bektenov, Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ali Asadov expressed gratitude to the Kazakh side for their swift response in carrying out the search and rescue operation following the disaster and for their support throughout the incident.