Official statements from the Russian government or admissions reported by credible news sources

Aliyev: Azerbaijan Airlines Plane Crashed Near Aktau After Russian Ground Fire, 38 Dead

Dec 29, 2024, 11:54 AM

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev announced that the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) passenger plane that crashed near Kazakhstan's city of Aktau was heavily damaged due to ground fire while flying over Russian airspace near Grozny. He stated that the aircraft's fuselage was riddled with holes, dismissing theories that it had hit a flock of birds. The plane became uncontrollable due to electronic warfare and crashed during an attempted emergency landing on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of 38 people. Aliyev emphasized that the plane was not intentionally shot down by Russia but expressed disappointment over false narratives from Russia regarding the cause of the crash.