Euronews: Azerbaijan officials say passenger plane hit by Russian missile
Anonymous government sources report the damaged plane was ordered to fly over the Caspian Sea
Preliminary investigations suggest a passenger Embraer 190 jet operated by Azerbaijan Airlines was damaged by a Russian missile before crashing in Kazakhstan, according to Euronews, citing Azerbaijani government sources.
The sources said the missile was a surface-to-air type, fired at flight 8432 during a drone threat near Grozny. The missile exploded near the aircraft, with debris injuring passengers and crew members.
THe pilots of the aircraft requested emergency landing permission at Russian airports but were denied. Instead, they were instructed to fly over the Caspian Sea toward Aktau, Kazakhstan.
The data indicates the plane's GPS navigation systems were jammed throughout its flight over the sea.