Russian air defense? Tragic crash over the Caspian Sea!

On December 27, 2024, a tragic plane crash from a passenger machine from the Azerbaijan Airlines in Kazakhstan occurred, in which 38 out of 67 people died on board. 29 survivors suffered serious injuries. The machine of the EMBRAER 190 type, which was on the flight J2-8243 from Baku to Grosny in Chechnya, crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan and the USA are now checking the possibility of a false shot by Russian air defense as the cause of the accident.

After initial information, the aircraft is said to have been damaged on the landing approach to Grosny, which forced the pilots to maneuver the Caspian Sea according to Aktau. While there was an attempt to land, the plane crashed. Azerbaijans head of state Ilham Aliyev attributed the change of course to adverse weather conditions, which was underpinned by Russian news agencies by reports on fog in Grosny.

studies and speculation

reports indicate that the plane could have been hit by a Russian air defense system. Pictures of the wreck parts show small holes that look like strokes of aircraft missiles. US government officials do not rule out a failure of Russian air defense, while Azerbaijani media report that the machine was hit on Grosny during the approach. Azerbaijani and Kazakh bodies, however, are back on the cause of the crash with concrete statements.

The Aviation Authority of Russia initially mentioned a bird strike as a possible reason for the emergency, this information was later withdrawn by Azerbaijan Airlines. Experts suspect that external influences could be responsible for the accident. Videos show that the plane crashed at a low height without reaching the Airport Aktau, and eyewitnesses reported two wide circles before the crash.

The salvage troops found the aircraft for the aircraft, the evaluation of which should contribute to clarifying the exact cause of the crash. While the crash in Azerbaijan was declared a mourning day and the national flags were raised to half mast, the corpses of the deceased and the injured survivors were transferred to the home countries, while some survivors are to be flown to Azerbaijan, such as noz . Kazakhstan's Vice Prime Minister has so far not been able to confirm or deny a Russian shelling. This incident could be confirmed that the second case in history was confirmed in which a passenger plane was hit by a Russian air defense system. Already in 2014 a Boeing was shot down over eastern Ukraine, which cost 289 people.

The international community and in particular the aviation authorities observe the developments related to this incident, since the effects on trust in aviation and the security situation in the region are still uncertain. The crash also illustrates the complex geopolitical tensions between the countries involved.

For more information about the plane crash, see also Tagesschau .