Plane was shot down by Russian missile in Azerbaijan, investigators say

Authorities did not immediately explain why it crossed the sea, but the crash came after Ukrainian drone strikes this month hit the southern Russian region of Chechnya. The closest Russian airport in the plane’s flight path was closed on Wednesday morning.

One of the Azerbaijani sources familiar with the investigation into the crash told Reuters that preliminary results showed the plane was hit by a Russian Pantsir-S air defense system, and its communications were paralyzed by electronic warfare systems on approach to Grozny.

The source stated: “No one claims that it was done on purpose. However, taking into account the established facts, Baku expects the Russian side to confess to the downing of the aircraft.”

Three other sources confirmed that the Azerbaijani investigation reached the same preliminary conclusion. The Russian Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Kazakhstan’s transport prosecutor for the region where the plane crashed said its investigation has not yet reached any conclusions about the crash. Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Qanat Bozymbaev said he could neither confirm nor deny the thesis that Russian air defenses shot down the plane.

The Kremlin, asked before the Reuters report about the idea that the aircraft had been targeted by Russian air defenses, said an investigation was ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment until the inquiry reached its own conclusions.