Mon Dec 30 09:21:35 UTC 2024: ## Azerbaijan Blames Russia for Downed Passenger Plane; 38 Killed in Kazakhstan Crash
**Aktau, Kazakhstan – December 29, 2024** – Azerbaijan has accused Russia of unintentionally shooting down Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, an Embraer 190, which crashed in western Kazakhstan on Christmas Day, killing 38 of the 67 people on board. Twenty-nine survived.
The plane, en route from Baku to Grozny, Russia, was diverted to Aktau due to conflicting reports: initially attributed to a bird strike, then to fog and bad weather, and finally to Ukrainian drone activity near Grozny which prompted airspace closure. However, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated unequivocally that the plane was shot down by Russian military forces, though he asserted it was unintentional. He also accused Russia of a cover-up.
Cell phone footage and eyewitness accounts from survivors suggest the plane experienced multiple loud noises, described as explosions or impacts, before a steep descent and fiery crash. Independent aviation experts, citing damage to the plane’s tail section consistent with shrapnel, have cast doubt on the bird strike theory, pointing instead towards a possible surface-to-air missile strike.
Both “black boxes” – the flight data and cockpit voice recorders – have been recovered. Investigations are underway in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Russia. The Azerbaijani airline has suspended flights to several Russian airports.
A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, cited early indications suggesting a Russian anti-aircraft system may have been responsible. While the White House acknowledged receiving intelligence pointing towards this possibility, it stressed that the ongoing investigations by Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan should be respected.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, while offering condolences and apologizing for the “tragic incident” in a call to President Aliyev, stopped short of accepting responsibility for the downing of the plane. The Kremlin acknowledged that air defense systems were active near Grozny due to a Ukrainian drone attack, but did not explicitly link them to the crash. The Kremlin statement came after days of speculation about Russian air defense systems being involved.
First Piper 