An Azerbaijan Airlines plane was shot down by Russia near Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, killing 38 passengers and injuring 29 others, according to video evidence that emerged after the deadly tragedy.
“Azerbaijan Airlines flight was likely shot down by a Russian military air-defence system,” reported UK-based Osprey Flight Solutions, which advises carriers still operating in Russia.
10 years ago, Russian air defenses also mistakenly shot down a commercial airliner near Ukraine — MH-17 — killing all of the nearly 300 civilians onboard.
The crash occurred as the Embraer 190 aircraft made an emergency landing near Aktau, Kazakhstan, after deviating hundreds of miles from its planned route between Baku and Grozny.
“This incident is a stark reminder of why we do what we do,” said Osprey CEO Andrew Nicholson. “It is painful to know that despite our efforts, lives were lost in a way that could have been avoided.”
It’s clear that the Azerbaijan Airlines 🇦🇿 flight was struck by shrapnel from a Russian 🇷🇺air defense system while it was targeting drones from the Ukrainian side🇺🇦. The hit was unintentional, of course, but the incident could have been avoided if Grozny Airport had allowed the… pic.twitter.com/qDbuEwEzZN
— B A H A R (@bemer_bahar) December 26, 2024
“The holes look like those left after a shelling or explosion with striking elements,” reported Baza, a Telegram channel with Russian security service links.
Russia’s civil aviation authority initially blamed a bird strike.
The flight carried 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz nationals. Nine Russian survivors were transported to Moscow for treatment on Thursday as Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning with lowered flags and moments of silence.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged against premature conclusions: “It would be wrong to make hypotheses before investigators make their verdict.”
Footage showed the aircraft making a descent before crashing in flames. The wreckage revealed its fuselage torn from the wings.
Full video of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash from today.
It shows the pilot trying to save the flight and then crashing in a fireball where miraculously close to 30 of the 67 aboard reportedly survived.
Video after the crash shows evidence of what could be bullet holes. pic.twitter.com/sXnM4AFk1x
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) December 25, 2024