Astana, Kazakhstan: Azerbaijani and US officials suspect a Russian surface-to-air missile caused the crash of an Azerbaijani passenger jet near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 people.

The Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190, en route from Baku to Grozny, veered off course over the Caspian Sea before crashing on Wednesday. Initial reports indicated the aircraft may have been struck by a missile fired from a Russian Pantsir-S air defence system, according to pro-government Azerbaijani website Caliber. The claim was also echoed by The New York Times, Euronews, and Anadolu Agency.

Investigation ongoing amid missile claims
Unnamed US and Azerbaijani sources said preliminary evidence pointed to a Russian anti-aircraft system as the cause. A US official described the incident as similar to Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, downed in 2014 by a surface-to-air missile over Ukraine. Aviation experts highlighted extensive shrapnel damage to the wreckage, reinforcing the missile theory.

However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov urged restraint, stating: “It would be wrong to make any hypotheses before the investigation’s conclusions.”

Kazakh authorities have recovered two black-box flight recorders and are investigating. Azerbaijan Airlines had initially blamed a bird strike before retracting the statement.

Survivors and victims
Of the 67 people on board, 29 survived, including three children. Eleven remain in intensive care, according to Kazakhstan’s health ministry. The victims included Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Russian nationals.

Jalil Aliyev, whose daughter Hokume was a flight attendant on the ill-fated plane, expressed his anguish, saying, “Why did her young life have to end so tragically?”

Witness accounts
Local resident Elmira, who rushed to the crash site, described harrowing scenes of injured passengers crying for help. “I’ll never forget their look, full of pain and despair,” she said.

National mourning declared
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev declared Thursday a day of mourning and cancelled a planned visit to Russia. “I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the crash... and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” he wrote on social media.

The crash marks a tragic end to a flight that deviated significantly from its planned route, with Flight Radar data showing the aircraft circling before its descent.

Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed his condolences to Aliyev during a phone call, according to Kremlin officials.

With AFP inputs