Russian Missile Allegedly Involved in Azerbaijan Airlines Crash That Killed 38

A Russian surface-to-air missile is alleged to have caused the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432, claiming 38 lives, according to Azerbaijani media reports.

Preliminary investigations cited by the Baku-based AnewZ news agency indicate that the missile, reportedly fired from a Russian Pantsir-S defense system, struck the aircraft as it approached Grozny in the Chechen Republic on the morning of December 25. Officials claim GPS jamming disrupted communication with air traffic control as the plane flew over Russian territory.

Drone strikes earlier that day in Chechnya and the surrounding North Caucasus region reportedly prompted Russian authorities to close the airspace to civilian traffic. However, Azerbaijani officials allege that the necessary closures were not enforced.

Initially, Kadyrov Grozny International Airport attributed the plane’s rerouting over the Caspian Sea to thick fog. After briefly regaining communication, the aircraft reappeared on radar at a low altitude before ultimately crashing in western Kazakhstan.

According to AnewZ, the plane was reportedly denied landing clearance in Grozny and other nearby airports after being fired upon. The aircraft attempted to divert to Kazakhstan, but it crashed near the city of Aktau, a hub for the country’s oil and gas industry.

Azerbaijan Airlines confirmed that Flight 8432 carried 62 passengers and five crew members. Kazakh authorities, who are also investigating the incident, reported 38 fatalities and 29 survivors, including three children.