Azerbaijan Claims Russian Missile Downed Airlines Flight

The Azerbaijani government has claimed that a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer E190 near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on December 25, 2024. The allegations were shared exclusively with Euronews on December 26.

According to Azerbaijani authorities, flight J2 8432, en route from Baku-Heydar Aliyev International Airport (GYD) to Grozny Airport (GRV) in Russia, was struck by missile shrapnel during drone activity above Grozny. Despite the pilots’ request for an emergency landing, the aircraft was reportedly directed to cross the Caspian Sea toward Aktau.

The E190, registered as 4K-AZ65, was cruising at approximately 9,144 meters when it disappeared from ADS-B tracking over the Caspian Sea at 08:40 local time. While Russian aviation authorities initially suggested a bird strike as the cause, images of the wreckage circulating on social media reveal small holes consistent with shrapnel damage from an anti-aircraft missile.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged against speculation, stating, “It would be wrong to put forward any hypotheses before the investigation’s conclusions.” The Russian government has not confirmed any involvement.

The crash claimed 38 lives, with 29 survivors. Azerbaijan declared December 27 a national day of mourning to honor the victims. Investigations by Kazakh, Azerbaijani, and Russian authorities are ongoing, with no official conclusions yet about the cause of the crash.

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