Azerbaijan Demands Apology from Russia for Passenger Plane Crash

Azerbaijani government sources have confirmed to Euronews that the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Aktau was caused by a Russian surface-to-air missile.

According to sources, the missile was fired toward flight 8432 during operations against drones over Grozny. The missile exploded near the aircraft, and its debris struck passengers and crew members.

Government sources told Euronews that the damaged aircraft was not permitted to land at any Russian airport—despite the pilots’ request for an emergency landing—and was ordered to fly over the Caspian Sea toward Aktau, Kazakhstan.

It has been reported that the plane’s GPS navigation systems malfunctioned throughout the flight over the sea. Azerbaijani government sources stated that the missile was launched from the Pantsir-S air defense system.

According to Russian sources, when the AZAL plane was flying over Chechnya, Russian air defense was actively attempting to engage Ukrainian drones.

Two American officials, who wished to remain anonymous, informed Azerbaijani media that new U.S. data also indicates that the Russian air defense system could have shot down the Azerbaijani passenger plane that crashed in Kazakhstan.

Additionally, Azerbaijan has rejected an offer from Chechen Leader Ramzan Kadyrov to provide financial assistance to the families of those killed and injured in the AZAL plane crash over Grozny.

“Azerbaijan does not need any assistance. Neither the state nor the citizens will accept such help. We provide and will continue to provide our citizens with the necessary support. Azerbaijan demands recognition of the facts, an apology, and appropriate compensation,” an anonymous representative from the Azerbaijani presidential administration said, as quoted by pro-government media.

The ill-fated aircraft had 67 people on board, with at least 38 fatalities reported.