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A plane crash in Kazakhstan on December 26, 2024, has raised serious questions about the involvement of Russian air defences. The flight, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243, crashed near the city of Aktau, killing 38 people. Preliminary findings from an investigation by Azerbaijan suggest the aircraft was struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system while flying over southern Russia.
The flight, an Embraer jet, was traveling from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Russia’s Chechnya region. After diverting across the Caspian Sea, it crashed on the opposite shore in Kazakhstan. Russia’s aviation authorities initially suggested the crash was caused by an emergency, potentially a bird strike, but this has not been confirmed. There was no clear explanation for why the plane veered off course. The Russian airport closest to the plane's path was closed at the time of the incident.
Sources familiar with the investigation said that Russian electronic warfare systems had paralyzed the plane’s communications before it was hit by the air defence system. The Azerbaijani government expects Russia to acknowledge its role in the downing of the aircraft, though they maintain it was not intentional.
Several international sources, including the U.S. and Canada, have expressed concern that Russian air defences may have been responsible. The Russian Ministry of Defence has yet to comment on the investigation, and the Kremlin has urged for conclusions to be drawn only after a full inquiry.
Meanwhile, Kazakh authorities have not confirmed the involvement of Russian air defences, and the investigation is still ongoing. Footage from passengers showed signs of panic on board before the crash, with oxygen masks deployed and passengers wearing life vests. Despite the severe damage, 29 survivors were found among the wreckage.
Aviation experts have noted that the flight experienced GPS jamming during its time over southwest Russia, an area where Russia has used advanced anti-aircraft systems to counter Ukrainian drone attacks. This raises further questions about whether the aircraft may have been caught up in Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
With info from Reuters
