Azerbaijan Airlines flight was shot down by Russia because it was mistaken for a drone
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Azerbaijan Airlines flight was shot down by Russia because it was mistaken for a drone

Posted on by Amelia Pressman

Four sources in Azerbaijan familiar with the investigation reported that an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, killing 38 people, was shot down by a Russian air defense system.

Flight J2-8243 crashed near the city of Aktau after deviating from its planned route from Baku to Grozny.

The plane was hundreds of miles off course and crossed the Caspian Sea before crashing in a fireball that was captured on video by horrified onlookers.

The incident occurred in an area where Moscow has recently deployed air defense systems against Ukrainian drone attacks.

Aftermath of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashAftermath of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashREUTERS
\u200b\u200bA man lays flowers for the Azerbaijani embassy in Moscow

A man lays flowers for the Azerbaijani embassy in Moscow

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A view of the scene after the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight with 67 people on board that was flying from the Azerbaijani capital Baku to Grozny in Russia's Chechnya region, near the Kazakh city of Aktau on the Caspian Sea

A view of the accident scene after the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane with 67 people on board near the Kazakh city of Aktau on the Caspian Sea

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Footage of the wreckage showed suspicious holes in the fuselage, indicating damage from anti-aircraft fire. Of the 67 passengers and crew aboard the Embraer 190 aircraft, 29 people survived the Christmas Day crash.

The plane originally took off from Baku airport at 7:55 a.m. and was headed to the Russian city of Grozny in Chechnya. Flight tracking data showed that the plane disappeared from radar while flying over Dagestan along the Caspian Sea coast.

It later veered off course again before the devastating impact and flew low over the water near western Kazakhstan. Dramatic footage showed the moment the plane hit the ground, burst into flames and broke into several pieces. 22 survivors are being treated in hospital, seven of whom are in serious condition.

According to an Azerbaijani source familiar with the investigation, preliminary results indicate that the plane was hit by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system.

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Emergency specialists work at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane

Emergency specialists work at the crash site of an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane

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The plane’s communications were reportedly crippled by electronic warfare systems as it approached Grozny.

“No one is saying it was done on purpose. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to shooting down the Azerbaijani plane,” the source told Reuters.

Flight data showed the plane was sending erratic signals for up to 75 minutes before the crash, suggesting the crew had partially lost flight control.

The aircraft experienced GPS jamming and no data was transmitted between 04:25 and 04:37 UTC.

Flags at public buildings and squares across Azerbaijan are lowered to half-mast

In Baku, flags on public buildings and squares across Azerbaijan are lowered to half-mast

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Aviation security company Osprey Flight Solutions noted that the Russian regions of Dagestan and Chechnya were attacked by Ukrainian military drones this month.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported the downing of 59 Ukrainian drones over several regions on Christmas Day. Flight operations at Russia’s Kazan airport have been temporarily suspended due to drone activity.

NATO called for a thorough investigation into the crash. Spokesperson Farah Dakhlallah explained

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