Mandatory Credit: Photo by EyePress News/Shutterstock (15047696f)
Holes of damage along the entire fuselage, gaping holes at the tail-end of the pods at the wing, holes in the cabin of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 in the aftermath of its crash near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan on Wednesday December 25. A Russian surface-to-air missile was responsible for the crash of the Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432, which killed 38 passengers, Azerbaijani media reported Thursday Dec 26, 2024. Unnamed Azerbaijani officials cited by the Baku-based news agency AnewZ said preliminary findings suggest the missile was fired from a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system as the plane approached Grozny in the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya on Wednesday morning. GPS jamming, previously reported by Flight Radar 24, caused the aircraft to lose communication with air traffic control while flying over Russian territory, the officials added. Chechnya and surrounding North Caucasus regions were targeted by drone strikes early Wednesday. AnewZ said that, under such conditions, Russian authorities were required to close airspace to civilian aircraft, but that was not done.
Russian Missiles Shot Down Azerbaijani Plane - Reports, Aktau, Kazakhstan - 26 Dec 2024