An Azerbaijan Airlines aircraft crashed near Aqtau, Kazakhstan, on Christmas Day while traveling from Baku to Grozny, Russia. Military experts have suggested that the plane may have been "accidentally struck" by a Russian surface-to-air missile or antiaircraft fire. Among the 67 individuals on board, 38 lost their lives, including two young girls aged 11 and 16, while 29 people survived.
An investigation is currently underway, with aviation experts noting damage to the plane's fuselage and tail consistent with missile shrapnel. A video shared by military conflict coverage account Clash Report revealed multiple holes in the aircraft's structure, some resembling small pinpricks and others several inches wide.
Initially, Azerbaijan Airlines attributed the crash to a bird strike, but this assertion has since been retracted. The plane had requested to land in Grozny but was denied, prompting it to attempt a return to Kazakhstan before crashing in a field approximately three kilometers from Aqtau. The black box has been recovered for analysis, and authorities from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia are investigating the incident. In response to the tragedy, President Ilham Aliyev declared December 26 a national day of mourning and announced that a criminal investigation into the crash is underway.