The News
An Azerbaijan Airlines plane carrying 65 passengers and five crew members crashed near the city of Aktua in Kazakhstan in the early hours of Wednesday morning, killing at least 38 people including both pilots, according to officials.
The airplane was flying from Baku to Gronzy in southern Russia when it changed course toward Kazakstan to attempt an emergency landing, authorities said.
Azerbaijani government sources told Euronews Thursday that a preliminary investigation suggested the aircraft was struck by a Russian ground-to-air missile, while unnamed sources in Azerbaijan told Reuters said Russian air defense likely downed the plane.
Moscow officials warned against “hypotheses” and pointed to a bird strike, while experts cautioned more information is needed to definitively say what caused the crash. The airline has suspended flights to two Russian destinations pending an investigation.