On December 25, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8432 tragically crashed, resulting in the deaths of 38 people. Azerbaijani media has reported that a Russian surface-to-air missile was responsible for bringing down the plane. The missile was likely fired from a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system as the aircraft approached Grozny, the capital of Chechnya in Russia’s North Caucasus region.

Officials stated that while flying over Russian territory, the plane experienced GPS jamming, which caused it to lose communication with air traffic control. This jamming had been previously noted by Flight Radar 24. The regions of Chechnya and the North Caucasus had also been targeted by drone strikes earlier that day, leading to heightened tensions in the area. Despite these conditions, Russian authorities failed to close the airspace, which could have prevented such incidents.

Initially, Kadyrov Grozny International Airport attributed the plane’s diversion to thick fog. However, after the plane reestablished communication, it was seen on radar flying at a low altitude before crashing in western Kazakhstan. It was denied permission to land at Grozny and other nearby airports after being fired upon by Russian air defence systems. The plane then tried to divert to Kazakhstan, where it crashed near Aktau, an oil and gas hub.

The flight carried 62 passengers and 5 crew members. Kazakh authorities have confirmed that 38 people lost their lives, while 29 survivors, including three children, were found. Investigations are still ongoing to determine the full causes of the crash.