Summary

An Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Christmas Day, killing 38 and injuring 29.

The flight from Baku to Grozny veered off course before crashing, and speculation centers on Russian air defenses, which may have mistaken the plane for a Ukrainian drone.

Wreckage showed damage resembling shrapnel, and GPS jamming—previously linked to Russia—was reported in the area.

Chechnya faced drone attacks shortly before the crash, heightening suspicion of a misfire.