Azerbaijan Airlines Flight J2-8243, an Embraer 190 aircraft, crashed in Kazakhstan on December 25, resulting in the deaths of 38 people, with 29 survivors hospitalized due to various injuries. The plane, carrying 62 passengers and five crew members, was initially flying from Baku to Grozny in southern Russia but diverted to Kazakhstan.
According to Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, the plane was damaged by a Russian surface-to-air missile system, causing it to crash. Kovalenko stated that Russia should have closed the airspace over Grozny during a suspected drone attack but failed to do so, leading to the tragic incident.
The crash occurred near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, with the plane’s black box recovered to aid in the investigation. Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbaev confirmed the death toll, while Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev expressed his condolences, stating that the cause of the crash was unknown and must be fully investigated.
The investigation is ongoing, with Kazakhstan cooperating with Azerbaijan to determine the cause of the crash. Azerbaijan Airlines has suspended flights from Baku to Russia’s Chechnya region until the investigation is complete. The incident has sparked international concern, with leaders expressing condolences to the families of the victims.
