Flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday in a ball of fire near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after diverting from southern Russia where Ukrainian drones were reported to be attacking several cities. At least 38 people were killed while 29 survived.

Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 caught fire as it tried to make an emergency landing in Aktau, southwestern Kazakhstan, on Wednesday. It was traveling from the Azeri capital Baku to Grozny, the capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya.

Early indications suggest Russian anti-aircraft system may have downed a passenger jet in Kazakhstan, confusing it for a drone. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the crash.

A passenger plane flying from Azerbaijan to Russia with 67 people on board crashed in Kazakhstan Wednesday, authorities said.

Moscow on Thursday warned against speculation that Russian air defenses may have caused the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane in Kazakhstan this week that killed 38 people. Kremlin

Russia's aviation watchdog said on Friday that an Azerbaijan Airlines plane which crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday had decided to reroute from its original destination in Chechnya amid dense fog and a local alert over Ukrainian drones.

Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash, likely caused by Russian air defense, shines light on a glaring issue the Kremlin has long swept under the rug.

Aviation experts say that Russian air defense fire was likely responsible for the Azerbaijani plane crash the day before that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured.

There have been multiple aviation crashes and close calls in 2024, the most recent being a Jeju Air flight 7C2216 on 29 December on a flight from the Thai capital Bangkok. The plane was carrying 181 people when it crashed upon landing at Muan International Airport in South Korea, with only two survivors among the crew, says Republic World.

Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday apologised to Azerbaijan’s leader for what the Kremlin called a “tragic incident” in which an Azerbaijan Airlines aeroplane crashed after Russian air defences were fired against Ukrainian drones.

Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to Azerbaijan's leader for what he called a “tragic incident” following the crash of an airliner in Kazakhstan that killed 38 people. Putin stopped short of acknowledging that Moscow was responsible.