An aircraft crash in Kazakhstan claimed the lives of 38 people on Christmas Day, with preliminary investigations suggesting the plane experienced “external physical and technical interference,” Azerbaijan Airlines reported on Friday.

Azerbaijan’s transport minister, Rashad Nabiyev, said that all survivors reported hearing three blasts while the aircraft was over Grozny.

Investigators are looking into what kind of weapon or rocket might have been involved.

There are suspicions that the plane was targeted by Russian air defence systems before it was diverted across the Caspian Sea to Kazakhstan. The Azerbaijani government has refrained from directly blaming Russia, likely to avoid escalating tensions with President Vladimir Putin.

The Kremlin has not commented on the situation, but Russia’s civil aviation agency stated that conditions in Grozny were “very complicated” at the time, and a closed-skies protocol was in effect.

Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport head, Dmitry Yadrov, the agency’s head, mentioned that Ukrainian combat drones were attacking civilian infrastructure nearby, which led to measures for the immediate departure of all aircraft from the area.

“An investigation into this aviation incident is underway and until the conclusions are made as a result of the investigation, we do not consider ourselves entitled to give any assessments,” Russian spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Azerbaijani aviation experts suspect that the aircraft’s GPS systems were affected by electronic jamming, and that it sustained damage from shrapnel due to missile explosions. In response to the preliminary findings, Azerbaijan Airlines suspended flights to five Russian airports, adding to the two routes already halted after the crash.

“There’s an ongoing investigation right now” involving Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, the White House spokesperson, John Kirby, told reporters on a call. “We have offered our assistance to that investigation, should they need it.”

Witnesses described chaotic scenes aboard the aircraft, with passengers reporting loud bangs and visible damage. One passenger, Subhonkul Rakhimov, noted that it felt as if the plane was “drunk,” and he saw shrapnel puncturing a lifejacket. Flight attendant Zulfuqar Asadov recounted how the impact caused panic among passengers and left him with an injured arm.

Veteran pilot Tahir Agaguliev stated that the damage to the plane’s hydraulics was caused by shrapnel rather than a direct missile hit.

Pro-government MP Rasim Musabekov asserted that the plane was shot down over Russian territory, emphasizing the need for clarity regarding the circumstances of the incident.

Officials have confirmed that Brazilian plane manufacturer Embraer has dispatched two specialists to the crash site, located 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) from Aktau airport in Kazakhstan. Additionally, three members of Brazil’s aviation agency are expected to arrive on Saturday.

Reports from Baku indicate that both Russia and Kazakhstan have suggested forming a committee from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to investigate the crash. However, Azerbaijan is calling for an international inquiry instead.

In light of the incident, Azerbaijan Airlines and several other carriers have suspended flights to certain Russian cities.

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