Chicago December 26, 2024
A devastating plane crash occurred on Wednesday near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan, resulting in the deaths of at least 38 people. The Embraer 190 passenger jet, operated by Azerbaijan Airlines, was flying from Azerbaijan to Russia with 62 passengers and five crew members on board.
According to Kazakh authorities, the plane had flown hundreds of miles off its scheduled route before crashing on the opposite shore of the Caspian Sea. The cause of the crash is still unclear, but officials have suggested that it may be linked to drone strikes that hit southern Russia earlier that day.
Aviation-security experts believe that the plane was likely shot down by a Russian military air-defense system. “Video of the wreckage and the circumstances around the airspace security environment in southwest Russia indicates the possibility the aircraft was hit by some form of antiaircraft fire,” said Matt Borie, chief intelligence officer at Osprey Flight Solutions.
Ukrainian officials have also blamed Russia for the crash, while Russia’s aviation watchdog has suggested that a bird strike may have caused the emergency. The crash is currently under investigation, with many questions still unanswered.
