A passenger plane carrying 67 people from Azerbaijan to southern Russia crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on Wednesday, local authorities said.

Azerbaijan Airlines’ Flight J2-8243, an Embraer E190, on its way to Grozny from Baku crashes near the outskirts of Aktau city in Kazakhstan on the day of Christmas (December 25, 2024). There were 67 passengers on board along with the crew,

As investigators cite a possible bird strike for the plane crash, viral videos and social media speculation raise questions about shrapnel damage and a potential Russian defense system involvement