Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer SA 190 aircraft was damaged by Russian air defense systems near Grozny before it crashed in Kazakhstan during an attempted emergency landing, according to Azerbaijan government-backed Caliber news website.

Russians who reviewed the transcript of the crew's conversations from the Baku-Grozny flight themselves admit that the air crash was caused by their air defense systems (ADS), according to Andriy Kovalenko,

Azerbaijan Airlines’ Embraer 190 was en route from Baku to the Russian city of Grozny when it was diverted for reasons yet unclear and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan.

Russian aviation authorities said the Azerbaijan Airlines plane had hit a flock of birds. But some experts cast doubt on that account, pointing to footage showing apparent holes in the fuselage.

"No one claims that it was done on purpose," an Azerbaijan official told Reuters. They added their government "expects the Russian side to confess."

Russian air defenses, rather than a bird strike, likely caused the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight, killing 38 people.

Good morning. Russian air defenses reportedly damaged the Azerbaijan Airlines plane before it crashed. Israel strikes Houthi targets in Yemen. And want to live next to Jeff Bezos? A $200 million lot is up for sale.

A passenger plane flying from Azerbaijan to Russia with 67 people on board crashed in Kazakhstan Wednesday, authorities said.

Early indications suggest a Russian anti-aircraft system may have downed the passenger jet that crashed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, a US official told CNN as Azerbaijan held a day of mourning for the dozens of victims of the disaster.

After an Azerbaijan Airlines jet crashed in Kazakhstan, speculation mounted about why the plane went down and whether possible Russian air defense action may have played a role.