New evidence suggests Russian forces shot down Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243

An Azerbaijani news outlet released evidence Tuesday suggesting the Russian military ordered the 2024 missile strike on Flight 8243, causing a crash in which 38 passengers died and another 29 were injured.

Russian military forces were involved in the missile strike on Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 which crashed on 25 December 2024, a new audio recording and a letter published by an Azerbaijani news website on Tuesday purport to prove.

Azerbaijani news outlet Minval claims it received an “anonymous letter … containing testimonies, audio clips, and technical details” pointing to “technical deficiencies in the communications equipment used at the time.

Minval claims the letter includes a written statement “allegedly signed by Captain Dmitry Sergeyevich Paladichuk, a Russian air defence officer (who) was acting under direct orders from Russia’s Ministry of Defence when he authorised the missile strike.”

Read more: Euronews