Thu Dec 26 11:32:43 UTC 2024: ## Azerbaijan Mourns After Air Crash Kills 38
**Baku, Azerbaijan** – Azerbaijan observed a national day of mourning on Thursday for the 38 victims of an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan. All 29 survivors sustained injuries. The plane, en route from Baku to Grozny, Russia, was diverted to Aktau due to worsening weather conditions, according to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. However, speculation surrounding the cause of the crash abounds.
Cell phone footage shows the plane making a steep descent before impact. The aircraft, carrying 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russians, six Kazakhs, and three Kyrgyz nationals, crashed approximately 3 kilometers from the airport.
While President Aliyev cited weather as a factor, Russia’s civil aviation authority suggested a possible bird strike. However, Osprey Flight Solutions, a UK-based aviation security firm, controversially alleges the plane was shot down by a Russian air defense system responding to a potential Ukrainian drone attack. This theory is fueled by the proximity to recent drone strikes in the region and purported holes in the plane’s tail section, though these claims remain unverified. The Kremlin has dismissed such speculation, pending the official investigation. Both Kazakh and Azerbaijani officials are awaiting the findings of the investigation before commenting on the cause. The investigation is underway.
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