Cause of the Crash of the Aircraft Flying from Baku to Grozny Revealed

The investigation into the causes of the crash of an "Azerbaijan Airlines" aircraft flying from Baku to Grozny is ongoing. Several Azerbaijani and international media outlets, citing their sources within the Azerbaijani government, report that the aircraft was struck by the Russian air defense system "Pantsir-S." The missile was fired at the plane when Russian air defense forces attempted to counter a Ukrainian drone attack. The missile exploded in the air, not far from the aircraft, and damaged it.

The damaged aircraft was not allowed to land at Russian airports, despite the pilots' request for an emergency landing. Instead, the crew was instructed to fly to Aktau, Kazakhstan.

According to a source involved in the investigation, the situation is clear for the Azerbaijani side. "No one claims it was intentional. However, considering the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to acknowledge having struck the Azerbaijani aircraft, to apologize to the Azerbaijani people, and to conduct a thorough investigation, resulting in the punishment and accountability of all those responsible," the source stated.

The downed aircraft on the Baku-Grozny flight had 65 passengers and 5 crew members on board. The Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported that 38 people died in the incident, while the Azerbaijani Prosecutor General's Office announced that 32 passengers were rescued.