Preliminary findings support Azerbaijan's claim that a Russian missile may have caused the jet crash.
December 25, 2024, saw a tragic incident involving an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft that crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, claiming the lives of 38 of the 67 people on board. Initially intended for Grozny, the flight veered off course and ended in Kazakhstan.
In the aftermath, speculation arose that the plane might have been struck by Russian air defenses due to a mix-up with a Ukrainian drone operation near Chechnya. However, these conjectures have not been confirmed by Russian authorities.
Kazakh officials disclosed a preliminary report on February 4, 2025, stating that it does not seek to assign blame for the disaster. The report, though, substantiates several facts, including the plane's engines, hydraulic systems, and GPS equipment being in good working order prior to takeoff. Furthermore, the aircraft was not overloaded.
Investigators in Kazakhstan assert that the damage sustained by the plane originated from outside, caused by foreign metal objects. This conclusion dismisses the possibilities of bird strikes or internal explosions originating from gas canisters. The impact led to control loss over most operating systems while the GPS systems were reportedly jammed by ground-based air defenses.
The report incorporates photos of the plane's tail section and fuselage showing numerous holes of varying sizes and shapes, without providing information about the causes of the perforations. An assortment of foreign metal objects has been retrieved from the jet for analysis. The visible evidence suggests damage consistent with that caused by anti-aircraft shrapnel.
At the time of the crash, Grozny, the intended destination, was under a Ukrainian drone attack. The Azerbaijani plane began experiencing difficulties in Chechen airspace after being hit by the foreign metal objects at 5:13 am on December 25, 2024, while the order to close airspace to civilian traffic wasn't issued until eight minutes later. This timing might indicate negligence or another weakness in the Russian system, given the distance from Ukraine, the radar capabilities of Russian air defenses, and the relatively slow speed of drones.
The incident has strained relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, with Baku pressing the Kremlin to accept responsibility and compensate the families of the deceased. Russian leader Vladimir Putin has so far declined to do so.
The Azerbaijani authorities claim to have evidence that at least one fragment from a Pantsir-S missile system was recovered from the plane. Meanwhile, Russian officials attempt to present a positive spin on the report while questioning the exclusion of the metal fragments from the Russian investigation.
In the meantime, state-controlled Russian media has released a barrage of disinformation, circulating discredited alternative theories for the crash. Various outlets lead with unfounded explanations like "noise impact" and bird strikes, overlooking the foreign metal object evidence.
The final report is expected to be completed in early 2026.
- Amidst the general news, the migratory route of Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 aircraft was tragically altered on December 25, 2024, when it crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, due to a series of events possibly related to war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation.
- The crash produced a wave of questions about the origin of the foreign metal objects found in the plane, sparking speculation that there might have been a clash with Russian air defenses owing to the proximity of a Ukrainian drone operation near Chechnya.
- In the realm of crime-and-justice, Kazakh officials have presented a preliminary report suggesting the damage was caused by external factors rather than internal accidents or bird strikes, pointing towards the possibility of accidents involving fires due to anti-aircraft shrapnel.
- Sporting events seemed to take a backseat as the implications of the devastating crash on politics and diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Russia became clear, with the former demanding accountability and compensation.
- The intricate details of the incident, such as the jammed GPS systems and the timing of the airspace closure, have fueled debates about oversights in the Russian system, sometimes drawing comparisons to sports-betting scenarios where every second counts.
- As the final report is yet to be released, the public grapples with the overwhelming influx of news, while skepticism persists towards the reliability of some state-controlled Russian media outlets, which continue to perpetuate discredited theories about the crash.
