Shocking claims: Missile attack ordered; The Russians shot down a passenger plane

Russian military forces were involved in the missile attack on Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 that crashed on December 25, 2024, according to new audio recordings and a letter published on an Azerbaijani news website on Tuesday.

Azerbaijani media "Minval" claims to have received an "anonymous letter containing testimonies, audio clips and technical details" indicating "technical deficiencies in the communication equipment used at the time".

"Minval" also claims that the letter includes a written statement "allegedly signed by Captain Dmitry Sergeyevich Paladichuk, a Russian air defense officer who was acting under direct orders from the Russian Ministry of Defense when he authorized the missile attack."

"Euronews" could not independently confirm the authenticity of the claims in the Azerbaijani media report.

How the Russians shot down the plane

"Minval" in its report cites a letter claiming that "Captain Paladichuk was stationed near Grozny on duty from December 24 to 25. At 05:40 on the day of the incident, his unit was ordered to go into full combat readiness."

"Due to poor mobile reception and the lack of functional wired communication, coordination relied heavily on unstable mobile connections," the letter added.

"A potential target was detected at 08:11 and tracked by radar. Two missiles were reportedly fired at the object after Paladichuk was ordered to destroy it by phone – despite thick fog preventing optical confirmation."

According to the letter, "coordinates, velocities and headings of the target at the time of both missile launches are detailed in the written explanation". The first missile reportedly missed, while the second reportedly exploded close enough for shrapnel to hit the plane.

Azerbaijanis claim to have three voice messages

Minval also claimed to have reviewed "three voicemails" believed to support the letter's claims. Voices allegedly confirm that operational orders were given, two rockets were fired, and shrapnel from the explosion hit the plane.

The media also published an audio recording that allegedly shows a sequence of events in which a voice in Russian gives military instructions, orders the firing of a missile, then a sound resembling a firing sequence is heard, and the same voice says "target missed" and allegedly orders the firing of another missile.

On the day of the tragedy, Azerbaijani government sources told Euronews that a Russian anti-aircraft missile was fired at Flight 8243 during drone activity over Grozny, the flight's destination.

The same sources said shrapnel hit passengers and cabin crew when a rocket exploded next to the plane mid-flight, disabling it.

Russian airports refused the request to land

The damaged plane was not allowed to land at any Russian airport despite the pilot's requests for an emergency landing, the same sources said, and was ordered to fly across the Caspian Sea to Aktau, Kazakhstan, where it crashed while attempting an emergency landing, killing 38 and injuring 29.

Subsequent reports after the tragedy claimed that Flight 8243 was shot down by a missile from the Russian Pancir-S1 system.

Putin called the crash a "tragic incident" but did not admit responsibility. "We can say with complete clarity that the plane was shot down by Russia. We do not claim that it was done intentionally, but it was done," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said in an address to the nation, three days after the crash.

Three demands to Russia

Then, on December 29, Aliyev stated that Baku had made three demands to Russia regarding the fall.

"First, the Russian side must apologize to Azerbaijan. Second, it must admit its guilt. Third, punish the guilty, bring them to justice and pay compensation to the Azerbaijani state, injured passengers and crew members," said Aliyev.

Aliyev noted that the first request was "already fulfilled" when Russian President Vladimir Putin apologized to him on December 28. Putin called the crash a "tragic incident," although he did not acknowledge Moscow's responsibility.

The Kremlin said at the time that anti-aircraft systems fired near Grozny, where the plane tried to land, to repel Ukrainian drone attacks.

In the days after the tragedy, Russian military bloggers claimed that the explosion occurred over the Naur district of Chechnya, where several Russian military units, including those with anti-aircraft systems, were deployed at the time, basing their conclusions on open source data.

New claims linking the Russian military to the tragedy of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 come as legal action between Russia and Azerbaijan escalates, as relations between the two countries hit a new low.