Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 Crashes in Kazakhstan, Killing 38; Azerbaijani Sources Blame Russian Missile

Dec 26, 2024, 01:33 PM

An Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432, en route from Baku to Grozny, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday, December 25, resulting in the deaths of 38 of the 67 people on board. According to Azerbaijani government sources cited by Euronews and Reuters, as well as Ukrainian officials and aviation experts, a Russian surface-to-air missile fired from a Pantsir-S air defense system caused the crash. The missile was reportedly launched during a drone air operation over Grozny, Chechnya, and exploded near the Embraer E190 aircraft, damaging it. After being denied permission to make an emergency landing at Russian airports, the pilots were allegedly instructed to fly over the Caspian Sea, leading to the crash in Kazakhstan. Russian authorities have not confirmed these claims.