Russia Responds to Accusations in Azerbaijan Airlines Crash

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called for investigations to play out, amid speculation a Russian missile hit Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8243.

In this photo taken from a video released by the administration of Mangystau region, a part of Azerbaijan Airlines' Embraer 190 lies on the ground near the airport of Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Dec. 26, 2024. The Administration of Mangystau Region via AP

The Kremlin is defending against accusations that Russian air defense forces were responsible for bringing down Azerbaijan Airlines flight 8243 on Dec. 25.

The Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 aircraft was en route from Baku, Azerbaijan, to the Russian city of Grozny on Wednesday when an emergency led the aircraft to divert its course and make a crash landing near Aktau, Kazakhstan. In all, 38 of the 67 people aboard the aircraft were killed in the crash.