Russian missile allegedly caused Kazakhstan plane crash

A Russian surface-to-air missile is alleged to have caused the plane crash in Kazakhstan, according to Reuters and Euronews, which cited sources with knowledge of the investigation. The incident resulted in the deaths of 38 passengers and crew members.

Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 was reportedly struck by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system on Wednesday, according to both media outlets, which had access to Azerbaijani and Russian sources.

The plane was flying over Chechnya, where Russian air defense forces were actively attempting to shoot down Ukrainian UAVs, according to Euronews. Missile shrapnel is believed to have struck the plane’s cabin as it exploded next to the aircraft mid-flight.

The aircraft, an Embraer 190AR with registration 4K-AZ65, was traveling from Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, to Grozny in Chechnya but took a detour after declaring an emergency. It fully crossed to the other side of the Caspian Sea for an attempted landing at Kazakhstan’s Aktau airport.

Flight 8243 may have had its communications disrupted by electronic warfare systems while approaching Grozny, according to Reuters. Euronews also reported that the damaged aircraft was not permitted to land at any Russian airports despite the pilots’ requests for an emergency landing.

“No one claims that it was done on purpose. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the shooting down of the Azerbaijani aircraft,” told a source to Reuters.

Footage captured the moments leading to the crash at Aktau airport, showing the plane flying erratically before colliding with the runway at high speed. Part of the aircraft exploded on impact, splitting it in half.

Pictures and videos taken by passengers and witnesses revealed apparent shrapnel damage to the rear part of the cabin and the plane’s tail. A video taken mid-flight showed “holes” in the plane and an injured passenger before the crash.

The crash caused the deaths of 36 passengers and both pilots, with 29 passengers and crew members surviving. Most of the victims were seated in the front part of the plane, according to preliminary reports.

If confirmed, this incident would mark the fourth time Russian – Soviet or Ukrainian missiles have downed a commercial plane. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down by a Russian-made Buk missile over eastern Ukraine in 2014, killing all 298 people on board. The region was under the control of Russian-backed separatists at the time.

Similarly, Siberia Airlines Flight 1812, a Russian Tupolev Tu-154, was shot down over the Black Sea in 2001 by a missile that went off course during a Ukrainian military exercise, killing all 78 people on board. While Korean Air Lines Flight 007, a South Korean Boeing 747, was accidentally shot down in 1983 by a Soviet Su-15 interceptor after it strayed into Soviet airspace.