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Akbar Novruz

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According to preliminary information, a Russian surface-to-air missile is believed to have caused the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) Embraer 190 passenger plane near Aktau, Kazakhstan.

Azernews, citing Euronews, reports that the missile was launched at flight 8432 amidst the presence of unmanned aerial vehicles in the sky over Grozny.

"The missile exploded near the plane during the flight, and its fragments hit passengers and crew members," sources stated. It was also noted that the plane's GPS navigation systems were reportedly inoperative for the entire route over the sea.

The tragic accident occurred on December 25, with the plane crashing 3 km from Aktau airport while en route from Baku to Grozny. The aircraft was carrying 62 passengers and 5 crew members, totaling 67 people.

As a result of the crash, 38 people lost their lives, while 27 were hospitalized with varying injuries. Of those hospitalized, 15 are citizens of Azerbaijan, 8 of Russia, and 3 of Kyrgyzstan, with one individual yet to be identified.

Currently, 11 individuals remain in intensive care, 13 in the traumatology department, 2 in neurosurgery, and 1 in surgery. Medical teams from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia are actively overseeing their treatment.

Among the crew, 3 members, including both pilots, tragically lost their lives, while 2 survived.

The plane's "black box" has been recovered, and its analysis is underway in accordance with international aviation conventions to determine the precise cause of the accident.