A passenger plane operated by Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, after being struck by a surface-to-air missile, according to Azerbaijani government sources cited by Euronews. The incident has raised significant concerns about air safety in conflict zones.
The plane was reportedly hit while flying over Grozny, Russia, during a period of recorded drone activity. The missile, believed to be launched by Russian air defense, exploded near the aircraft, with shrapnel causing damage to the plane’s fuselage and injuring passengers and crew members.
Despite the emergency, Russian authorities allegedly denied the plane’s request for an emergency landing at their airports. Pilots were directed to continue flying across the Caspian Sea to Aktau, Kazakhstan, under challenging conditions. Sources claim that the plane’s GPS navigation system was jammed during this portion of the flight.
Photos circulating online reveal extensive shrapnel damage to the aircraft’s exterior, corroborating claims of an attack.
The head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko, attributed the incident to Russia’s failure to close its airspace over Grozny during the drone activity, accusing Russian anti-aircraft systems of mistakenly targeting the civilian plane.
Investigations into the crash are ongoing, and international aviation authorities are expected to review the circumstances surrounding the incident, particularly the decision to keep Grozny’s airspace open amidst military operations.
