Jeff had the story this morning: Russian air defense systems appear to be responsible for the downing of an Azerbaijan airliner whose crash was captured on video. We’ll keep you updated, but some of the footage is disturbing. Only 29 people survived, but some of the survivors posted videos that appear to support the current theory regarding how this airline crashed. There are bits of shrapnel seen in the fuselage:
U.S. officials tell NewsNation evidence indicates Russian air defenses downed the Azerbaijan Airlines plane that crashed in Kazakhstan Wednesday, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) December 26, 2024
More: https://t.co/coUcrtRJyu #NewsNationNow pic.twitter.com/NTbPP760Uv
🚨 New up-close images of the wreckage of Azerbaijan Airlines flight JS-8243 show the doomed flight appears to have been struck by numerous fragments or other similar objects before crash-landing in Kazakhstan on Christmas Day.
— TheRealCherokeeOwl (@RealCherokeeOwl) December 26, 2024
The fuselage and tail section of the Embraer 190… pic.twitter.com/R8xplms7ad
Full video of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash from today.
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) December 25, 2024
It shows the pilot trying to save the flight and then crashing in a fireball where miraculously close to 30 of the 67 aboard reportedly survived.
Video after the crash shows evidence of what could be bullet holes. pic.twitter.com/sXnM4AFk1x
Russia’s military is being blamed for a commercial airline crash near the city of Aktau, Kazakhstan, that occurred on Wednesday.
[…]
Azerbaijani government officials confirmed that a Russian missile caused the crash. As EuroNews reported, “The missile was fired at Flight 8432 during drone air activity above Grozny, and the shrapnel hit the passengers and cabin crew as it exploded next to the aircraft mid-flight.”
It appears that Russia was attempting to target a Ukrainian drone amid the ongoing war in the region. Ukraine has frequently used drones to attack Grozny amid the conflict, according to The Associated Press.
The plane’s GPS navigation systems were jammed after the incident.
This man who thought he recorded his final moments miraculously survived the crash with minor injuries and recorded the aftermath.
The passenger who was reciting its last prayer on the Azerbaijan Airlines plane survived with minor injuries https://t.co/ghXaZPEWvo pic.twitter.com/kGhAi7twfJ
— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) December 25, 2024
NEW: The man who filmed a video for his wife as the Azerbaijan Airlines fell from the sky, miraculously survived, filmed another video showing apparent shrapnel damage.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) December 26, 2024
It is now suspected that the plane crashed after being hit by Russian air defenses.
Subkhon Rakhimov, the man… pic.twitter.com/Gln20M8FjL
This flight was en route to Grozny, Chechnya. Moscow has denied responsibility.
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