Tragic Loss: Alleged Russian Missile Hits Azerbaijani Plane, 38 Dead
On December 25, 2024, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243, an Embraer 190 aircraft, crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, resulting in 38 fatalities and 29 survivors.
The flight had departed from Baku, Azerbaijan, en route to Grozny, Russia. Preliminary investigations suggest that the aircraft was struck by a Russian surface-to-air missile, specifically a Pantsir-S system, over Chechnya.
This incident occurred amid Russian air defense responses to reported Ukrainian drone activity in the region.
The aircraft sustained significant damage, including perforations consistent with shrapnel impact, leading to its eventual crash during an attempted emergency landing.
Both Azerbaijani and Kazakh authorities are conducting thorough investigations into the incident.
For a visual report on this incident, you may watch the following news segment: