A senior Azerbaijani officials have confirmed that an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash near Aktau, Kazakhstan, was caused by a Russian Pantsir-S missile system.
According to the official, the aircraft, en route from Baku to Grozny, had its communications paralyzed by Russian electronic warfare, disappearing from radars until it was over the Caspian Sea.
The crash claimed 38 lives, with 29 survivors currently.
Investigations are ongoing, though initial Russian claims blamed a bird collision.
The Kremlin has declined to comment further, urging patience for investigative results.
A video footage of the crash site showed shrapnel damage to the wreckage.
Russia’s Defense Ministry has not commented on the allegations, while the Kremlin has stated that it’s improper to comment on the investigation until it reaches its conclusions.
Meanwhile, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has called for a full investigation into the cause of the crash.
