Baku [Azerbaijan], December 26 : Following the preliminary investigations into the crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 in which 38 passengers were killed near Aktau in Kazakhstan, it was revealed that a Russian missile was responsible for the crash, Euronews reported on Thursday, citing sources from the Azerbaijani government.
The Azerbaijan Airline flight, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members, crashed on Wednesday after being forced to make an emergency landing about three kilometres from Aktau.
The Embraer 190 aircraft was en route from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to Grozny, a Russian city in the North Caucasus
Euronews on Thursday claimed, citing sources, that the missile was fired during a drone operation above Grozny in Russia, hitting the aircraft mid-flight, with the shrapnel injuring passengers and crew members.
The damaged plane was denied permission to land at any Russian airports, despite requests from the pilots, and was directed to continue across the Caspian Sea towards Aktau, Euronews reported.
The missile was launched from a Pantsir-S air defence system, Euronews reported, citing sources from the Baku-based international outlet AnewZ.
According to Euronews, citing Russian sources, it was confirmed that, at the time, Russian air defence forces were targeting Ukrainian drones in the region. Khamzat Kadyrov, head of Chechnya's Security Council in Russia, acknowledged a drone attack on Grozny that morning, though there were no casualties or damage.
This incident would mark the second instance in a decade where Russian forces have downed a commercial aircraft, following the MH17 tragedy in Ukraine, if the preliminary information is confirmed, Euronews stated.
The crash also mirrors an incident from November 2018, when an Air Astana flight, losing hydraulics over Portugal, was safely landed with the assistance of the Portuguese Air Force.
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